Bologna-Empoli 3-0: hat-trick by Orsolini

The Bear unleashed. You can see football, ideas, initiative, serious developments. In short, a game that was always on the boil, but Orsolini scored the goals (three) that Ciccio Caputo failed to achieve, also due to a block from Skorupski and a goal disallowed for offside in the first half. Bologna, after three 0-0s in a row, manages to unlock the standings and offensive efficiency, once again keeps the door closed and above all finds its number 7 again: hat-trick for the left-footed winger to certify the rebirth of a boy who – extending the contract runs until 2027 – he has not only found the blue again with Spalletti but has solidified his belonging to the rossoblù. And Empoli? You can see that Andreazzoli has sorted it out, framed it, enriched it: opportunities always emerge, in the second half the decibels drop, but partly due to Skorupski and partly due to that post hit by Maleh in the first half, the Tuscan team stops three points with only one goal scored in 7 days.

bear and pole

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After a choreography of the Bulgarelli Curve recalling the goal disallowed in Monza (“Millionaire technologies, meticulous protocols: for a bunch of presumptuous protagonists”), Thiago Motta changes several compared to Monza (in Kristiansen, Moro, Ndoye and Corazza with confirmation of Orsolini in place of Karlsson), while Andreazzoli recovers and immediately relaunches Ciccio Caputo with Baldanzi and Cambiaghi close by. Motta – who, in the sequence at the beginning of the season, changes the seventh captain: Ferguson – has never beaten Empoli who are however the bête noire of Bologna, defeated in all recent matches in the top division. Both teams had a goal problem: Bologna had only scored three goals, the Tuscans had only scored one and in short it was clear that both Bologna and Empoli tried to unblock this situation of offensive “anaemia”. The start was all Empoli’s: within 8′ first Ebuehi (save by Skorupski after a corner kick) and then Caputo (ball lost by Beukema) challenged the Bolognese defence. On the other side Orsolini tries twice (high finishes) but on the third Berisha scores: minute 23′, ball from Zirkzee who now makes the “nine and a half”, Walukiewicz drunk by the number 7 who comes back on the left and puts in the 1 -0. Empoli play fluently and look ahead to such an extent that in the play following the deficit Maleh hits the post to the left of Skorupski. Good match, well-paced, full of initiatives, opportunities, search for the goal which is lacking in both of them this season. Baldanzi also comes close to scoring: 29′, Skorupski flies again, this time low and becomes – at this start of the match – decisive. You can see that Andreazzoli has sorted out the Tuscan troops: the ways to hurt the opponent arrive, like in the 36th minute when Ebuehi crossed for Caputo who slipped the goal alone, but also offside of the Empoli right side. Moral of the first half: Bologna in the lead (and with the possibility of doubling, Berisha neutralizes Zirkzee in the 45th minute after Ndoye’s escape) but Empoli absolutely in the game and dangerous.

resurrection

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In the second half, Empoli changes by introducing Cancellieri (as an attacking midfielder) and Fazzini, Motta has to replace Moro after 9′, also due to little impact on the match: El Azzouzi comes on and immediately gets a yellow card. Empoli continues to grind out the game to such an extent that Caputo still sees himself as Skorupski in XL mode: a shot placed on the edge of the area and Empoli is still close to scoring. But Bologna’s quality is also that of resisting, compacting, becoming clear in difficulties and starting again: practically the identikit of Orsolini who takes the stage again in the 21st minute. Thirty seconds after a goal practically eaten into an empty net, the rossoblù left-footed winger precisely made it 2-0 by crossing the shot which Berisha and Cacace were unable to “block” because they were wrong-footed. Bologna’s top scorer last year (11 goals) finds only the sparks of the past in one afternoon. In the final, Andreazzoli puts on Shpendi, Motta gives space to Van Hoiijdonk and Lykogiannis and Maresca decides to give 7 – excessive – minutes of injury time. Within which Orsolini finds a way to bring home the ball: hat-trick on an assist from El Azzouzi and resurrection completed.