Bologna achieved a commendable result with a goalless draw against Benfica, showcasing their resilience in a challenging away match. Goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski played a pivotal role in the match, making crucial saves to deny Benfica’s Ángel Di María.
The Rossoblu entered the game knowing their chances of advancing in the Champions League were slim after managing only one point from their opening match and suffering four consecutive defeats. Injuries compounded their difficulties, with key players such as Riccardo Orsolini, Charalampos Lykogiannis, Juan Miranda, Michel Aebischer, Oussama El Azzouzi, and Niccolò Cambiaghi unavailable. Benfica, on the other hand, had accumulated nine points from five games but missed Renato Sanches and Tiago Gouveia due to injury.
The match started with an early scare for Bologna when Vangelis Pavlidis found the back of the net in the second minute, only for the goal to be ruled offside following a pass from Di María. Bologna’s Thiijs Dallinga had a chance to score but was thwarted by Benfica’s goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin.
Although Bologna enjoyed more possession in the first half, they struggled to convert it into clear scoring opportunities. Nicolò Casale made a vital block on a counter-attack from Di María, while Skorupski had to deal with a powerful volley from the Argentine winger.
After halftime, Dallinga again found himself in a promising position but shot directly at Trubin. Skorupski showed his class with an outstanding reaction save on Pavlidis’ follow-up shot after initially struggling with a cross.
As tensions rose in the match, Bologna felt aggrieved when Orkun Kukcu avoided a second yellow card for a foul on Dan Ndoye. Lewis Ferguson also made an important defensive play, blocking another Di María effort as Skorupski continued to shine with another save from Amdouni.
This draw marks a significant point for Bologna in their Champions League campaign, as they aim to turn around their fortunes after a tough start to the tournament.
Benfica (4-3-3): Trubin; Bah, Araujo, Otamendi, Carreras; Aursnes, Florentino, Kokcu (80′ Cabral); Di Maria, Pavlidis (72′ Amdouni), Akturkoglu (72 Beste).
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Posch (88′ Corazza), Beukema, Casale (72′ Lucumì), Holm; Ferguson, Moro (72′ Pobega); Urbanski (72′ Ndoye), Fabbian (72′ Freuler), Iling-Junior; Dallinga.
