Bologna had an injury time equaliser to thank for helping them to a point in a 2-2 draw against Napoli at the Dall’Ara on Sunday afternoon in Serie A.
Rolando Bianchi headed them into the lead but second half strikes from ex-Real Madrid duo Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon looked to have won the game for Napoli until Bianchi pounced in the penalty area in injury time to volley home a dramatic equaliser.
Bologna started brightly although Napoli did look moderately threatening on the counter for the opening 10 minutes but after that, struggled to get any tempo or rhythm to their performance.
The home side’s best opportunities were always likely to come from the lovely left foot of Alessandro Diamanti and that was almost the case after 13 minutes when his delightful free kick delivery which was headed over the top by an unmarked Cesare Natali.
Diamanti was undoubtedly a man up for this one as he showed again midway through the half, gliding past four challengers but his final shot skewed wildly off target on his weaker right side as a pass to Archimede Morleo looked to have been the better option.
Napoli’s danger on the counter looked to be all they had as they continually looked increasingly flat in possession and struggled for creativity with Bianchi next to go closest with a header that hit the net on the wrong side of the post.
Shortly afterwards, they and he got the goal they deserved. No prizes for guessing that it was a sensational Diamanti cross which he got himself on the end of to nod it past Rafael into the corner and set off on a frenzied run towards the curva in celebration.
In first half injury time all of Bologna’s hard work was so nearly undone when Callejon found space behind a static defence but nodded his backwards header over the top by inches.
Chances were at a premium at the start of the second half as the Felsinei continued to fight for every loose ball with Rafa Benitez forced to introduce Marek Hamsik is an attempt to add an extra dimension to their attack.
Higuain missed a sitter after 15 minutes of the second half when Callejon sent over the most inviting of deliveries but he somehow nodded the ball wide from four yards with a completely free header.
Minutes later though, he made amends after Panagiotis Kone inexplicably bundled Blerim Dzemaili over in the box from behind and the Argentine stepped up to blast the ball high past Gianluca Curci.
It was very much for the Partenopei in the ascendancy by this point of play with Dries Mertens next to test Curci with a low volley but it lacked the power to truly trouble him.
That same pair came head to head again as the game moved in on the final 15 minutes when Curci produced a top class fingertip stop to keep out a Mertens free kick.
Then with 10 minutes remaining, the Vesuviani got the goal that their energy and urgency in the second half deserved when Higuain fed Callejon to his right and he drilled low into the corner with a sublime finish for his ninth in the league this season.
Kone saw red for a ridiculous second yellow card after kicking the ball away as it all looked to have gotten away from them until Gokhan Inler conceded a soft corner after the 90th minute mark and Bianchi chested down the loose ball from the cross and belted home with aplomb to claim a share of the spoils.
