The log jam at the top of the Serie B table loosened, if only for a day, as Bologna defeated Trapani 2-1 at the Stadio Dall’Ara on Monday evening in a clash which pitted two of the four sides level at the top of the Serie B table.
The squads came into the match tied at 18 points alongside Carpi and Frosinone, but no squad was as red hot as Bologna who came with an impressive streak of 14 points in their last six matches.
The visitors poured on the pressure from the beginning, putting the Rossoblu to the sword on three quick gilt-edged chances and inside of five minutes got the lead when Matteo Mancosu redirected Luca Pagliarulo’s header past Bologna keeper Dejan Stojanovic.
The goal awakened the Felsinei as Franco Zuculini hit a blast from a tight angle and Lys Gomis made the first of eight saves only to outdo himself on the ensuing corner and make a miraculous double save turning away Luca Ceccarelli and a tap-in effort by Archimede Morleo.
A total of seven shots on goal were registered within the first seven minutes before the match settled a bit as Trapani could no longer maintain its high-pressing tempo.
Bologna’s Marcel Buchel found Morleo on the right with a perfect cross but Pagliarulo did well to anticipate and remove the threat before Morleo could get the decisive touch.
Sassuolo on loan winger Karim Laribi served up Daniele Cacia moments later and the veteran hit man beat Gomis with a chip, only to be thwarted by Francesco Lo Bue who cleared the ball off the line to keep the visitors in the lead.
Predictably, in a match with so many quality chances, the equalizer came on an unfortunate bounce when Christian Terlizzi bundled a Laribi pass intended for Cacia into his own net at the half hour mark.
Both sides threw themselves into challenges in an effort to gain the advantage after the break with each side’s strikers being hacked within minutes, however neither challenge drew a foul and the intensity of the match only increased further.
Within the first five minutes Bologna nearly broke the deadlock first on Laribi’s olimpico attempt which was saved by an alert Gomis punch, and Domenica Maietta’s header on the subsequent corner which rattled the post.
Laribi’s hard work paid off shortly after the hour mark when the 23-year old launched the attack, crossed the ball to Cacia and netted the go ahead on Cacia’s return pass.
Trapani were forced to switch tactics and provide support for Mancosu who was acting as their lone striker but outside of a lone occasion by Enis Nadarevic, they Sicilians had no answers for a Bologna machine intent on extending their excellent form in front of new president Joe Tacopina.
A total of 10 matches are set to kick off tomorrow evening and will conclude Week 11 of what has been a tumultuous Serie B campaign.
