By Milan dominated the game from the start, and scored a goal very early. Verdi levelled it before the break, but Milan and Gattuso managed to get the important win. Bologna were under a lot of pressure at times, but it still feels like two points lost. The defending on the second goal was not good, and we got a lot of chances to equalize.
Roberto Donadoni made four changes from the game against Cagliari. Adam Nagy came into the team for a rare appearance because of the suspended Andrea Poli, while Vasilis Torosidis came in at right back for Ibrahima M’baye. In addition, Giancarlo Gonzalez came back from injury and into the centre of defence alongside Filip Helander.
The game:
The first twenty minutes of the match were all about Milan. They dominated possession, and they should have been leading by more than the one goal when Verdi equalized. Great work by Destro to create the opportunity, he is really starting to get back to his best form.
The goal gave Bologna a bit of confidence back, and the possession evened out a bit, but neither team managed to take advantage of their chances.
The second half kicked of in the same manner as the first, with Milan dominating the possession. A draw would have been a decent result, but then a cross to the far post was headed in by Bonaventura. Very disappointing defending by Torosidis, as he really should have made it more difficult for Bonaventura.
What followed should have meant an equalizer, as Bologna got three huge chances on the bounce. A Taïder header, a Masina shot from distance, and a fumble at a corner all were extremely close to going in, but it wasn’t to be.
What we learned:
First of all, Bologna cannot allow any team to dominate that much. They were played all too low, in particular during the first twenty minutes of the match. This was very dangerous, as it allowed Milan to have all of their players in Bologna’s half, and the pressure was almost surreal. It got a big better later on in the game, but this is something that the coaching team need to work on, as Juventus is up next.
Once again, the defending was questionable. A lot of misplaced passes led to Milan chances, but worst of all was Milan’s second goal. Torosidis should not lose a header against Bonaventura. I also think it is clear that M’baye should be first choice right back. I don’t know whether he got dropped because Donadoni thought Torosidis was the better choice, or if M’baye has struggled with an injury, but Torosidis should not be starting for Bologna. He is a good back-up, nothing more.
Destro is improving. No goal for him in the game, but he only had one big chance. He created Verdi’s goal though, and I was very impressed by how easily he managed to go past Musacchio. More of that please. After a tough spell on the sidelines as back-up striker, he is now Bologna’s first choice once again. The front three of him, Verdi and Palacio work very well together, and their understanding is growing in each game. It will be interesting to see what Donadoni does when Di Francesco comes back. Could we see a change in formation to a 4-2-3-1 to fit them all in?
Best Rossoblù:
Simone Verdi: As is the case in most games, Verdi was the best Rossoblù. He was involved in everything Bologna did, and his goal was excellently taken. Let’s hope Bologna can keep him for a long, long time. Bigger clubs are rumoured to be interested, and as he keeps performing game after game now, I wouldn’t be surprised if an offer came in already in January.
What’s next?
Next game is at home against Juventus on Sunday at 15.00. Another tough game for the team, and to be honest, a game where I don’t have any expectations of a positive result. Bologna have got nothing to lose, while everyone expects Juventus to go home with three points.
What did you think of the result? Was it a deserved loss or do you think Bologna’s performance merited a draw?
#rossoblù
Photo: Bologna FC
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