Bologna 1-1 Udinese: Udinese miss penalty as both sides share the spoils

Bologna's new chapter following the departure of Thiago Motta commenced on a less than favorable note, as Vincenzo Italiano's inaugural Serie A match at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara concluded in a 1-1 stalemate against Udinese. Nevertheless, the hosts have now extended their unbeaten streak to seven home matches in Serie A.

The newly appointed coach of Bologna faced the daunting task of succeeding a team that finished fifth last season, securing the club's first-ever participation in the UEFA Champions League.

Concerns also lingered regarding the impact of Joshua Zirkzee's absence on Bologna's performance. However, Riccardo Orsolini nearly provided his coach with a perfect start in the eighth minute, striking from the edge of the area and forcing a remarkable two-handed save from Maduka Okoye. Meanwhile, Udinese approached the match cautiously, having narrowly escaped relegation by a mere two points in May.

The Zebretti struggled to register a shot on target before halftime, yet they effectively neutralized the pre-match favorites. Their only significant threats came when Dan Ndoye found himself in space within the penalty area on two occasions, only to miss the target narrowly.

After Orsolini had a goal ruled out early in the second half, opportunities continued to arise, with Orsolini testing the Udinese goalkeeper again from close range following a cross from Santiago Castro.

A team facing such intense pressure cannot maintain a defensive stance indefinitely, and the inevitable occurred in the 55th minute when a failed clearance landed at the feet of Nikola Moro just outside the penalty area. He unleashed a powerful first-time shot that was handled by Jaka Bijol, resulting in a penalty kick. Orsolini took the responsibility, delivering a fierce left-footed strike into the top corner, leaving Okoye with no chance, marking his 11th successful conversion from 12 Serie A penalties.

There had been no indication that Udinese would manage to secure a point, yet they were awarded a penalty against the flow of play when Lukasz Skorupski mishandled a tackle within the box. He redeemed himself by correctly predicting the direction of Florian Thauvin’s penalty, deflecting it out for a corner.

However, the Polish goalkeeper soon became the antagonist once more, as Lautaro Gianetti scored with a header at the far post from the corner kick, achieving a surprising equalizer and only his second goal in Serie A.

It was understandable that many players in the iconic red and blue stripes began to show signs of fatigue, ultimately failing to secure the victory despite being granted five minutes of injury time.

Bologna must enhance their clinical finishing if they wish to compete effectively on multiple fronts this season, while Udinese will undoubtedly feel like the moral victors, having avoided a third consecutive loss on the opening matchday for the first time since the 1961/62 season.