Bologna head coach Vincenzo Italiano couldn’t believe his misfortune after Atalanta grabbed a late equalizer to hold his side to a 1-1 draw last night. A dramatic contest at Renato Dall’Ara saw the 10-man Rossoblu fight stoically until the 90th minute when Lazar Samaradzic canceled out Santiago Castro’s second-half opener.
It was a decent opportunity for Bologna to register only their second league win under Italiano. However, Jhon Lucumi’s expulsion early in the second half threw a spanner in the works, leaving the home team with a mountain to climb in the remainder of the game.
When it looked like Bologna would get away with precious three points, Samardzic struck home a stunning long-range strike to silence Dall’Ara. Despite another winless outing, Italiano takes heart from his team’s spirited performance against the second-most prolific roster in Serie A.
“We take home the spirit of our players from the moment we were reduced to ten men,” the Bologna coach said after the match, as reported by Gianluca Di Marzio. “I’ve experienced this before against Atalanta, and it’s difficult because they keep enveloping you and throwing you into the penalty area. I decided to focus on the result and the standings.
“The first half was beautiful, another match played openly with Atalanta, with chances on both sides. The numerical disadvantage somewhat marred the game.“
Bologna must regroup quickly after Saturday’s heartache as they head to Anfield on Wednesday to take on Liverpool in the Champions League.
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