Joey’s Bologna Win to Boost Survival Hopes

Joey Saputo’s Bologna won their first home league game in over 5 months to breathe life into their survival battle at the foot of Serie A. The Impact owner was not at the game however his parents took their seats in the the VIP Area of Stadio Renato Dell’Ara.

Opponents Cagliari have scored least away goals (7) in the division, while Bologna, prior to day’s fixture, the least goals at home (8). So, it was never likely to be a high scoring affair.

Chilean international midfielder Erick Pulgar converted the first penalty kick awarded to Bologna this season, and Robert Soriano on loan from Villareal sealed the points with a close-range finish on 77 mins. They did have Polish ‘keeper, Lukasz Skorupski to thank for a fantastic one-handed save from Joao Pedro’s downward header to preserve their lead on 62 mins, but overall it was a deserved victory for the Rossoblu.

For Cagliari, it was a sixth successive away defeat and they have failed to score in the last five of those.

Photo by Mario Carlini / Iguana Press/Getty Images

Bologna were led by former Impact midfielder Blerim Dzemaili who played a solid captain’s role in the middle of the park. Speculation suggests the Swiss international will retire after this season, however he still looks a player with something to offer, and certainly would be an asset in MLS.

Saputo and his team will now be watching anxiously on tomorrow evening as Empoli, the club a point above them in the 4th from bottom position, travel to AS Roma. It would be a surprise should the Tuscans get anything from their visit to the capital.

SPAL, defeated 0-2 at Inter yesterday are now also within reach, just a point better off than Empoli.

Next weekend Bologna travel to Torino in sixth, chasing a European spot for next season. Stadio Olimpico Grande has not been kind recently to the Rossoblu, losing 0-3, 1-5 and 0-2 on their last three visits.

Photo by Mario Carlini / Iguana Press/Getty Images

Bologna fans, looking very relieved in the stadium today, will be hoping that poor sequence of results in Turin can end and that tomorrow night, Empoli don’t throw a spanner in the works of what so far has been a rare good weekend, by getting something from their game in Rome.