Bologna Club Focus: Playing For Pride, Finally

Date: 9th April 2014 at 6:36pm
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Bologna’s game against Inter on Saturday night highlighted all the Rossoblu’s positives as they made the very best of themselves to earn a 2-2 draw and could, if Robert Acquafresca had been a little more accurate in the dying embers of the game, been celebrating a famous victory.

Games between these two adversaries always bring to mind the great Scudetto season on 1963/64, which Bologna are celebrating on the collars of their shirts this season; marking a clear 50 years since they last won Serie A.

Both sides back then operated along similar lines, operating a closed ‘Catenaccio’ system that stifled attacks and ground out results. The principle sounds appealing, but it rarely brought up thrilling encounters such as we enjoyed on Saturday night.

Mauro Icardi put Inter ahead very early on, and the Nerazzurri looked fairly comfortable pressing forward for a good while afterwards but, as Bologna came into their own, there was a very definite tactic emerging. For all aspiring tacticians, there was a lesson in its beautiful simplicity, proof positive that sometimes, you can over-complicate an otherwise simple game.

Basically, Davide Ballardini’s instructions seemed to be as follows. When you win the ball, get it to Lazaros. Let him run as far as he can as fast as he can. See what happens. Repeat.

Simple it may have been, but it brought about Bologna’s first goals in open play since early February. Their first equaliser which seemed to have been drilled home by Michele Pazienza, whose name would have been a lovely acknowledgement of the hardship the Rossoblu have suffered in front of goal, got the tiniest of flicks from Jonathan Cristaldo.

Not initially evident, the televisual snickometer ensured that Cristaldo had his fourth of the season rather than Pazienza his first. The chance, I barely need to mention, came as the result of a Lazaros effort; the lung-busting Greek popping up everywhere as he continues to enjoy a purple patch.

Of course, playing against Inter in the San Siro, there were hairy moments but Gianluca Curci performed heroics – above and beyond his penalty save from Diego Milito, and even when Icardi scored a rather lovely second, Bologna still produced a fair amount going forward through Lazaros and Kone, who felt his way into the game, but was accomplished by the end. It was the Greek who equalised the second time, prodding home from close range.

Following so many barren weeks, two goals from open play seemed almost ludicrous, but there was the possibility of more, right at the death, as Acquafresca had two attempts to beat Handanovic, but his second effort landed agonisingly past the post. Imagine that – to be disappointed with only a point at Inter is a huge step in the right direction for Davide Ballardini’s side.

There are still flaws in the team; the defence looked a little porous, the midfield looks set more to contain than create and the forwards don’t look much like finding the net – Cristaldo’s goal was only negligibly his. Those flaws can be overcome, though, at least in the short term.

The most important things remain just as they did. Bologna pulled back the point Livorno closed in with their draw with Inter, and sit above the relegation zone. They played – as they often have this season – a very good match against a team who were expected to beat them.

Against Napoli, they salvaged another 2-2 draw. Against AC Milan, a Mario Balotelli master-stroke won the game late for the Rossoneri. It might not be a vintage Felsinei, but they are capable of turning it on when it matters.

Next week’s game against Parma matters. It precedes Juventus and Fiorentina for Bologna and represents the best chance of points of any of those three games. The vim, vigour and impetus of Saturday must be carried forward into that game – the fans at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara have rarely been entertained as richly as the travelling fans were on Saturday, and their regular shows of dissent might be alleviated if the Rossoblu can take three points from the in-form Ducali.

A minor, but worthy, footnote of the weekend was a first half clash that saw Lazaros tangle with Inter’s Jesus. Unlike so many years ago, this time Jesus came off worse, and was stretchered from the field. Following that, it was Bologna that produced the miracles.

 

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