Bologna completed a remarkable comeback to stun Udinese on their own turf in a frantic game with disallowed goals, VAR controversy, the woodwork rattled and heroic goalkeeping.
The Friulani were without a win since early October, managing only six draws and three defeats, but finally welcomed back Gerard Deulofeu to the bench after a long injury lay-off. Thiago Motta had a decimated squad, as Gary Medel and Nico Dominguez were suspended, with Mark Arnautovic, Kevin Bonifazi, Joshua Zirkzee and Lorenzo De Silvestri injured.
In the opening minutes, Beto controlled a long ball over the top, turned between defenders and saw his finish deflected over by Adama Soumaoro’s desperate block from six yards.
Riccardo Orsolini should’ve done better when turning over from a tight angle after Sandi Lovric was robbed in midfield.
Udinese broke through moments later, Isaac Success flying down the right and putting in a low cross for Beto to sweep into the roof of the net with the inside of the left boot.
They had the ball in the net again with a remarkably similar move, as this time Rodrigo Becao got down the right and rolled across for Beto to come sliding in at the back post. However, Becao was offside on the assist and it was disallowed.
Orsolini had penalty appeals waved away, as he went down far too easily under a Destiny Udogie nudge, then Soumaoro got just enough on a cross to prevent Udogie scoring at the far stick.
Jean-Victor Makengo lost the ball cheaply in midfield, so Orsolini pulled back from the by-line for Nicola Sansone, his volley seemed to be deflected over by Bijol. VAR had a long look at the footage, but it was simply not clear whether it was Bijol’s head, hand or indeed if there was any contact at all.
Bologna thought they had equalised on the stroke of half-time with a well-worked move, as Michel Aebischer flicked on a ball over the top for Sansone to get in front of Becao and volley in from six yards. However, VAR showed Sansone was offside.
A corner was flicked on for Aebischer, who was unable to steer it on target at the back post, but Bologna finally got their equaliser when Sansone was sent clear by an inspired Nikola Moro through ball.
A slight deflection proved enough to move the Lazar Samardzic strike inches wide of the near post, then on the resulting corner Lukasz Skorupski denied Roberto Pereyra.
Moro’s shot was deflected and from the resulting Orsolini corner Bologna turned it around, as Jerdy Schouten flicked it on at the near post for Stefan Posch to bundle over the line from a couple of yards.
Udinese really should’ve been on level terms moments later, but Success somehow fired wide from eight yards when an Udogie curler was deflected into his path.
There was an even bigger chance in stoppages, a free kick flicked on to the back post for Success ready to tap in, denied only by heroic goalkeeping from Skorupski.
It remained frantic to the bitter end, Bologna almost scoring a third on the counter with Musa Barrow’s curler coming off the base of the far post, perhaps with the aid of Marco Silvestri’s fingertips.
Udinese 1-2 Bologna
Beto 10 (U), Sansone 59 (B), Posch 80 (B)