Bologna-Udinese 1-1, goals from Payero and Saelemaekers

Journalist

April 28, 2024 (changed at 5.14pm) – BOLOGNA

For Bologna, arithmetic Europe must wait and the connection to third place fails. A golden point for Udinese, won with blocks, cunning, lots of wasting time and… even a post hit by Davis in the last second of the match. Not a nice match, rough, with the Friulians finishing ahead after suffering throughout the match in front of a Bologna who were full of maneuvers but also ineffective but who however resumed the match reduced to ten men due to Beukema’s expulsion. It took a “rainbow” from a free kick from Saelemaekers to straighten out the game after Payero’s goal – beautiful and well constructed – in the first half. Motta’s team continues its march: only one defeat (against Inter) in the last 14 matches.

game and wall

—

Thiago Motta inserts Kristiansen in place of Calafiori, keeping El Azzouzi, Ndoye (no Orsolini, who will come on in the second half) and Saelemaekers. Cannavaro, in his second match in Serie A after meeting Roma, decides to put both Samardzic and Pereyra behind Lucca: the search for points is paramount given Frosinone’s victory. The start is a block against play, in the sense that Udinese “arms” themselves every now and then in counterattacks and Bologna tries – even with throws and crosses – to jump the Friulian net, compact, attentive, tough, aggressive. But it’s tough, also because Udinese play with skill, physicality and even some cunning that especially makes Motta nervous.

advantage

—

It’s an Udinese that doesn’t let players play and is aggressive, so much so that Bologna looks more for the long game than the phrased one: Motta’s team tries to score but Udinese covers and defends, to the point that the first half sees two dirty shots (Zirkzee) and a high one from Aebischer. But Udinese is ready to exploit the errors and it happens in the 2nd minute of injury time: Freuler, under pressure, loses the ball in the middle of the pitch, Lucca heads towards the shot fouled by Beukema, the ball goes to Payero who – arriving before Posch – scores , as happened in the first leg, Udinese’s lead which then came close to an encore at the end of the first half with a header from Perez. Moral: Bologna plays but doesn’t break through, Udinese makes the most of the opportunity at the very first opportunity.

ten and rainbow

—

After a first half without proper outbursts, Motta puts in the Orsolini lighter: more corners won while Okoye continues to waste time in the restarts of the game (correct warning) and Bologna gets nervous. In the 14th minute, a shot following a maneuver by Ndoye: easily into the arms of the Udinese goalkeeper. Cannavaro puts on Ferreira, Motta loses Beukema (20′ st) who in a few minutes gets two yellows, the second for stopping Samardzic: Bologna with ten men from 20′. But in the 32nd minute there is a free kick from the left: Saelemaekers takes it first and it’s a decisive rainbow, 1-1. The Belgian also tries later, coming close to taking the lead on two occasions: for Bologna it was a missed opportunity also due to a very clever and covered Udinese team and in search – at all costs – of grains of salvation. One arrived, somehow.