It was an exciting four-goal thriller at the Stadio Dall’Ara, with Aaron Hickey, Destiny Udogie, Isaac Success and Nicola Sansone giving Bologna and Udinese a point apiece.
The Rossoblu were decimated by bans for Gary Medel, Marko Arnautovic and Adama Soumaoro after the controversial 1-1 draw with Juventus, plus Lukasz Skorupski injured. Beto was still out injured for Udinese, but Nahuel Molina returned from suspension after the midweek home defeat to Salernitana.
Once again, Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic was forced to watch from his hospital room, where he is undergoing leukaemia treatment, and keeping in constant touch with his staff and players.
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It took just six minutes to find the breakthrough, Aaron Hickey taking the angled drive first time after a passing move from right to left, his finish bouncing in off the inside of the far post.
Molina almost equalised when he completed a give-and-go with Isaac Success, but Francesco Bardi managed to reach up and get his fingertips to the attempted lob, allowing his teammate to then clear the loose ball off the line.
It was only a warning, as Udinese equalised moments later. Success sent Destiny Udogie clear with a cheeky back-heel flick and the wing-back prodded in with the outside of the boot at the far post.
Riccardo Orsolini thought he’d restored the Bologna advantage, but was offside when meeting the Matias Svanberg through ball.
Barely 30 seconds after the restart, Udinese had turned it around to lead 2-1. Success knocked on a ball for Gerard Deulofeu, who floated the cross to the back post for the ex-Watford striker to chest and volley from seven yards.
Bologna got back on level terms with substitute Nicola Sansone’s first Serie A strike since February 2021, as he ghosted to the back post to meet an Orsolini ball rolled across the face of goal. He’d only been on the pitch for 96 seconds.
Udogie almost scored a similar goal on Molina’s assist, but only found the side-netting, while Orsolini nodded Sansone’s cross over.
Both teams tried to win until the end, Bardi getting his gloves to another Success effort on Lazar Samardzic assist.
Bologna 2-2 Udinese
Hickey 6 (B), Udogie 25 (U), Success 46 (U), Sansone 59 (B)