Football Italia
·3 May 2024
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·3 May 2024
Bologna were rescued by the woodwork and Lukasz Skorupski saves, but emerged with a 0-0 draw away to Torino to consolidate fourth place.
The Rossoblu already guaranteed European qualification after 22 years, but still wanted to lock down that Champions League spot. Sam Beukema and Adrien Tameze sat out bans, while the hosts had Koffi Djidji, Perr Schuurs, Saba Sazonov and Gvidas Gineitis injured. Adama Soumaoro and Lewis Ferguson are out for the season.
Toro were wearing a special edition jersey to mark the 75th anniversary of the Superga tragedy that killed the Grande Torino squad in a plane crash.
The Granata had an extraordinary double chance on 17 minutes, as first the Antonio Sanabria diving header bounced off the crossbar from an Ivan Ilic cross, then Duvan Zapata’s follow-up was parried from point-blank range by Lukasz Skorupski.
Nikola Vlasic limped off with an adductor issue and Michael Aebischer drilled just wide from the edge of the area following a poor clearance, while Joshua Zirkzee fired a couple of efforts off target.
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic’s first save was on the hour mark, palming a sudden long-range Aebischer strike out from under the bar.
Skorupski needed another sensational show of reflexes, denying Ivan Ilic with one hand after a poor clearance, and Aebischer threw himself in the path of a Karol Linetty effort, from which Adam Masina nodded over on a corner.
Masina was decisive at the other end, making sure Riccardo Calafiori’s cross did not reach Riccardo Orsolini for a tap-in, then Jens Odgaard failed to bundle a corner over the line from close range.
It does show that Bologna are slowing down towards the end of the season, as this was their fourth draw in the last five rounds. As for Torino, this effectively ends their hopes of qualifying for Europe, as it is their ninth goalless stalemate of the campaign.