Bologna boss Thigo Motta says he is satisfied with the ‘heart and spirit of the group’ following their 1-1 draw with Genoa. The hosts went behind to a first half goal from Albert Guðmundsson and left it until the 95th minute to pull back an equalier, courtesy of Lorenzo Di Silvestri. Speaking post-match, Motta explained why he was most impressed by the teams ability to stick to their game plan until the very end:
“The most important thing is that we believed in it and kept our ideas until the end. The spaces opened up in the second half and we looked for the result, they were good at defending and we were equally good at avoiding their counter attacks.
“We paid for it in a dead-ball situation, but it was an excellent team performance against a Genoa side that defends very well.
“The draw goes better to them than to us, we wanted other results, but I’m satisfied with the heart and spirit of this group, as we saw with De Silvestri who scored after only a few minutes in”.
“Calafiori? It is too early to think about the next European Championship. He’s playing great games, he has a lot of heart and courage. He always pushes himself forward, since he arrived he has transmitted many positive things, moreover, today he deserved the goal for how close he came”.
“Saelemaekers? He always lives the game well both on and off the pitch. Even if he starts from the bench he knows that he can make a difference, as can everyone who comes in during the game.”
“Zirkzee captain? He deserves it, he’s been a great leader since he arrived. He works well and the most important thing is that he conveys the right approach to his teammates. He played well today too, very generous also in the defensive phase.”
