In a thrilling Serie A encounter at the San Siro, Inter Milan were held to a 2-2 draw by a determined Bologna side on Wednesday night. The match was a rollercoaster of emotions for both sets of fans, with goals from Santiago Castro, Denzel Dumfries, Lautaro Martinez, and Emil Holm providing an entertaining spectacle.
Both managers made significant changes to their lineups ahead of the clash. Inter’s Simone Inzaghi had to reshuffle his pack due to absences, giving starts to Matteo Darmian, Kristjan Asllani, and Piotr Zielinski. The return of top scorer Marcus Thuram to the starting eleven was a welcome sight for the Nerazzurri faithful.
Bologna’s Vincenzo Italiano also rang the changes, with Riccardo Orsolini returning to the starting lineup alongside Nikola Moro, Charalampos Lykogiannis, and Nicolo Casale. Santiago Castro got the nod up front, replacing Thijs Dallinga.
The visitors started brightly, with Moro forcing a spectacular save from Yann Sommer early on. Bologna’s positive start was rewarded in the 15th minute when Castro pounced on a half-clearance to give his team the lead. Inter’s response was swift, equalizing just three minutes later through Dumfries, who was quickest to react after Federico Dimarco’s shot was saved.
As the first half progressed, Inter began to assert their dominance, creating numerous chances. Their pressure paid off in stoppage time when captain Martinez rifled home Dimarco’s low cross to give the hosts the lead at the break.
The second half began at a frenetic pace, with both sides creating opportunities. However, it was Bologna who struck next, as Holm’s deflected effort from Orsolini’s cutback leveled the scores once more.
In a surprising move, Inzaghi substituted the influential Martinez for Mehdi Taremi, who is still searching for his first Serie A goal. The Iranian striker nearly made an immediate impact, narrowly missing a cross from the impressive Thuram in the closing stages.
Goals: Castro (B) 15′, Dumfries (I) 19′, L. Martinez (I) 45+1′, Holm (B) 64′.
Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Darmian (70′ Pavard), de Vrij, Bastoni (83′ Buchanan); Dumfries, Barella, Asllani (70′ Frattesi), Zielinski, Dimarco (70′ Carlos Augusto); Lautaro (74′ Taremi), Thuram.
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Holm (76′ De Silvestri), Beukema, Casale, Lykogiannis; Freuler (86′ Erlic), Moro (67′ Pobega); Orsolini, Odgaard (67′ Ferguson), Ndoye, Castro (86′ Dallinga).
