Serie A | Monza 1-2 Bologna: Castro scorcher for first victory

Bologna earned their first victory of the campaign thanks to a Kacper Urbanski looping header and ferocious Santiago Castro strike, leaving Monza still winless.

Both sides were still without a win this season under new coaches, managing three points from four rounds. The hosts held Inter 1-1 last week, but missed Alessio Cragno, Patrick Ciurria, Roberto Gagliardini and Samuele Vignato. The Rossoblu scraped a Champions League draw with Shakhtar Donetsk thanks to a Lukasz Skorupski penalty save, but Tommaso Pobega joined Nicolò Cambiaghi, Lewis Ferguson and Oussama El Azzouzi on the absentee list. Vincenzo Italiano made five changes to the starting XI.

See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.

Dan Ndoye tested Stefano Turati at the near post in the opening minutes, while Nicola Ravaglia flew to palm the totally free Pedro Pereira header over from a corner.

Alessandro Bianco’s curler flashed inches wide moments later and Pablo Mari charged down the acrobatic Santiago Castro volley.

Bologna took the lead with a magnificent Urbanski looping header that he steered around the goalkeeper to go in off the inside of the far post from the Charalampos Lykogiannis cross.

Urbanski very nearly got a second in style, as his chest and volley from the edge of the area skimmed the upright with Turati beaten, while the goalkeeper saved one-on-one with Castro on the counter.

Dan Ndoye ran from midfield to curl just wide of the far post, but instead Monza equalised when Ravaglia only parried a Daniel Maldini long-range effort into the path of Djuric to turn in the rebound from a tricky angle.

It remained wide open, as Castro and Bianco went close, with Turati parrying from Ndoye at the base of the near post.

Ndoye and a Lykogiannis cross-shot also tested the Monza goalkeeper, but Bologna restored their lead with a scorcher from Castro, the right-foot rocket from distance arrowing its way into the far top corner.