Thomas Henry flew to cancel out the Marko Arnautovic strike, but it was a bad night for Bologna’s Riccardo Orsolini, who had a goal disallowed and was sent off for a high boot.
Both sides were trying to shake off opening defeats, but did not have full squads to choose from. Adama Soumaoro and Ferguson sat out bans for the hosts, with Mitchell Dijks injured and Jhon Lucumi not yet registered after his transfer. Verona had Miguel Veloso back from suspension, but Antonin Barak was left out pending an imminent move to Fiorentina.
It was almost the perfect start for Verona, as Thomas Henry at full stretch reached a cross from the right before the goalkeeper, thumping the underside of the bar from four yards, it bounced off the line and back out.
Marko Arnautovic’s header was over the bar, but he then broke the deadlock when a low Kasius ball was rolled across from the right and the striker anticipated his defender to tap in from six yards. The former Manchester United transfer target celebrated by pointing to himself and to the ground, as if to say: ‘I am staying here.’
Verona drew level just before half-time, a Darko Lazovic cross floated from the left found Henry at the back post for a towering header.
However, no sooner had they finished celebrating that Bologna had scored again with a ferocious Riccardo Orsolini finish off the underside of the bar. It didn’t count, as VAR confirmed Orsolini was offside on the through ball.
Lukasz Skorupski flew to palm a fantastic Ivan Ilic volley out from under the bar and at the other end Orsolini almost surprised Lorenzo Montipò after a poor backpass.
Roberto Soriano’s header was acrobatically fingertipped over the bar by Montipò, the goalkeeper also getting down at full stretch to palm away the Orsolini daisy-cutter.
Adrien Tameze really should’ve done better when found by a Martin Hongla assist, but blasted over the bar from seven yards.
Jerdy Schouten’s lob landed on the roof of the net, but Bologna went down to 10 men after a ridiculously high Orsolini challenge. He argued that he had not seen Hongla, but it was reckless to go in like that.
Kevin Lasagna had the chance to win it late on, but scuffed wide on a corner.
Bologna 1-1 Verona
Arnautovic 21 (B), Henry 43 (V)
Sent off: Orsolini 78 (B)