Bologna slipped to a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in only their second UEFA Champions League outing in over 60 years last night. However, head coach Vincenzo Italiano was proud of his team, insisting they left Merseyside with ‘our heads held high.’
Despite entering the game as significant outsiders, Bologna gave a more heavily fancied Liverpool a run for their money. Arne Slot’s side picked up an early lead through Alexis Mac Allister. But it wasn’t a straightforward game for the Reds by any stretch of the imagination.
A moment of inspiration from Mohamed Salah midway through the second half put daylight between the teams. Yet, Bologna never gave up. Italiano’s lads fought valiantly against the early Premier League pacesetters valiantly until the final whistle.
Despite drawing a blank in both Champions League fixtures this season, Bologna showed admirable fighting spirits against Shakhtar Donetsk and Liverpool. Italiano had nothing to complain about his team’s approach in his post-match interview.
“We leave Anfield as we wanted – with our heads held high. We played a great game,” the Bologna manager said, as reported by Gianluca Di Marzio. “We could have done better only in the first goal, but we showed great personality by creating chances. We had little time available to prepare for this match.
“Liverpool probably did not expect such a courageous Bologna, capable of turning the field around,” Italiano continued. “Too bad, maybe we could have scored a goal since they count in the standings. But let’s start with the attitude, it’s an important brick for our journey.
“After a few minutes, the emotion passed and we played a great game. We knew the strength of Liverpool. Now we think about the championship, we need to score points there too,” Italiano finished.
Bologna will take on newcomers Parma at Renato Dall’Ara on Sunday, seeking only their second Serie A win in seven matches.
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