A game of two halves

Dag Jenkins
Jan 17, 2024
3 min read

Season 2015-16

Game 20, Serie A

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Stadio Dall'Ara, Bologna

Bologna Lazio 2-2

Bologna two up at the break but Lazio come back and clinch draw

So far Lazio were 9th, on 27 points. The Biancocelesti had won 8 (including Bologna 2-1), drawn 3 and lost 8 (including Chievo 0-4 and Napoli 0-5) They had yet to find some consistency. They however came from a good 3-1 away win at Fiorentina.

Bologna were currently joint 14th on 22 points with Torino. The Rossoblu had won 7, drawn 1 and lost 11 (including Lazio 1-2 in Rome on debut). Their last match had been a bad 0-1 home defeat to Chievo Verona but a week earlier they had won 1-0 away against Milan.

A game between two inconsistent sides so anything could happen today.

The match

A pale sun and a classic 3 p.m. kick-off only brought just over 15,000 spectators to the Dall'Ara ground.

Lazio were without goalkeeper Federico Marchetti, defenders Dušan Basta, Santiago Gentiletti and Stefan de Vrij (the latter two out with long term injuries).

Bologna could not count on defender Luca Rizzo or midfielder Franco Brienza.

Bologna got off to a dream start and scored in the 2nd minute. A superb Emanuele Giaccherini freekick flew into the top right-hand corner. The Bologna midfielder had obviously studied Andrea Pirlo in training during their time together at Juventus.

Lazio's reaction was lame and based more on possession than concrete attacks. Bologna seemed to have more energy and covered the field better.

In the 18th minute the hosts scored again. Another Giaccherini freekick was headed clear but was then fed back into the area where a lucky ricochet favoured ex-Roma striker Mattia Destro who found himself unmarked near the penalty spot, 2-0

Lazio were flat and Bologna had two good chances to almost certainly put the game beyond Lazio's reach. Another former Roma player Matteo Brighi was first denied by Etrit Berisha and then had a shot go just wide.

Halftime came with Bologna well in control and 2-0 up.

During the break manager Stefano Pioli was almost forced to change something so he took off a subdued Marco Parolo and a static Filip Djordjevic and introduced Senad Lulic and Miro Klose.

Lazio were then livelier while Bologna could not keep up their first half rhythm. Daniele Gastaldello risked an own goal when his clumsy attempt to anticipate Klose went over the keeper but hit the post.

Lazio continued to push and in the 69th minute were awarded a penalty. Lulic crossed into the area to Klose who chested the ball down but was pulled down by Adam Masina who was also sent off. Antonio Candreva took the spot kick and with a brilliant "Panenka" chip beat Mirante, 2-1.

The Rossoblu were in difficulty and made two changes; in the 71st minute Juan Camilo Zúñiga for Giaccherini and a minute later Alex Ferrari (also former Roma) for Gastaldello.

Five minutes later Lazio equalised. In the 77th minute Klose dispossessed a defender and ran down the right wing where he pulled back a perfect low cross to incoming Lulic who smashed the ball in from just inside the area, 2-2.

Both sides made one more change; in the 82nd minute Lazio replaced Candreva with Felipe Anderson and two minutes later Bologna took off Destro and put on former Lazio, Sergio Floccari.

Both sides also seemed reasonably pleased with a draw but if anyone could have won it that was Lazio with Keita Balde.

A fair draw in the end. Bologna had dominated the first half but run out of steam. Lazio had not turned up in the first but revived in the second. Roberto Donadoni at least had a logical explanation to his team's performance while Pioli had to figure out why Lazio had approached the game so badly.

Lazio were still 9th, on 28 points while Bologna were still joint 14th, on 23 points now with Sampdoria (6 above relegation zone, Carpi on 17)

Who played for Bologna

Mirante, Rossettini, Oikonomou, Gastaldello (72' Ferrari), Masina, Taider, Diawara, Brighi, Mounier, Destro (84' Floccari), Giaccherini (71' Zuniga)

Substitutes: Da Costa, Stojanovic, Mbaye, Donsah, Crisetig, Zuculini, Pulgar, Acquafresca, Falco

Manager: Donadoni

Who played for Lazio

Berisha, Konko, Mauricio, Hoedt, Radu, Milinkovic-Savic, Biglia, Parolo (46' Lulic), Candreva (82' F.Anderson), Djordjevic (46' Klose), Keita