Bologna 1-0 Inter Milan: Orsolini's spectacular late strike stuns Nerazzurri as Rossoblu keep Champions League push alive
Riccardo Orsolini fired Bologna to a dramatic 1-0 victory over Inter Milan with a sensational stoppage-time bicycle kick at home on Sunday, delivering a major setback to the Serie A leaders in their title defense.
The decisive goal came in the dying moments when a long throw from Bologna was inadvertently flicked on by an Inter defender, landing perfectly for Orsolini, who executed a stunning finish to clinch all three points. The strike marked Orsolini’s 12th goal of the Serie A season, bringing him level in the scoring charts with Inter’s Lautaro Martinez and Napoli’s Romelu Lukaku.
Despite the loss, Inter remain atop the Serie A table with 71 points after 33 matches. However, Napoli have drawn level on points following their own narrow win over Monza, increasing pressure on Inter heading into a demanding stretch of fixtures. The next 10 days will see them face AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semifinal, take on AS Roma in Serie A, and visit Barcelona in the Champions League semifinal.
Bologna, revitalized in their return to elite European competition after a 60-year absence, moved up to fourth place with 60 points, temporarily overtaking Juventus, who will play Parma on Monday. Bologna also maintain momentum ahead of their Coppa Italia semifinal second leg against Empoli, holding a 3-0 advantage from the first leg.
Chances were scarce throughout the encounter, with each side registering just one shot on target deep into the match. Bologna's Thijs Dallinga came closest in the first half, but his shot was deflected wide by Benjamin Pavard. Tensions flared in the second half, leading to the dismissals of Bologna manager Vincenzo Italiano and Inter assistant coach Massimiliano Farris. Inter nearly snatched a late winner through Mehdi Taremi, but his effort was heroically blocked by Juan Miranda.
The result ended Inter’s unbeaten streak that had stretched back to mid-February and continued their struggles on the road, where they have now won just once in their last seven Serie A outings.
SportsLigue