Goals from Fabrizio Cacciatore, Juan Iturbe, Luca Toni and Jorginho kept up the Gialloblu's impressive start to the season. Alessandro Diamanti netted a penalty for the home side. Bologna remain winless and stay in the relegation zone
Bologna vs Hellas Verona, final score 1-4: Hellas add to Bologna’s woes
Hellas Verona heaped more misery on Bologna with a 4-1 victory at the Renato Dall’Ara.
Bologna pesident Albano Guaraldi had given under fire manager Stefano Pioli a vote of confidence in the wake of last weekend's 5-0 thrashing at AS Roma. Michele Pazienza, Nicolo Cherubin and broken nose victim Henry Gimenez were all absent for this game, along with the suspended Cesare Natali.
Kick off was delayed for 20 minutes after police closed roads to stop rival fans from clashing. As a result, the Verona team bus was caught in traffic and late in arriving to the ground.
The Rossoblu made an encouraging start. Francesco Della Rocca stung Rafael's palms from 25 yards in the opening minutes. Diamanti was denied a penalty after a backheel bounced up off Massimo Donati arm. After his free kick flashed across the box, Diamanti blazed over from distance. Jonathan Cristaldo saw a deflected effort loop wide, then Rafael smothered a shot from the attacker at the near post.
Verona soaked up the pressure and went ahead with their first real attack on 22 minutes. Cacciatore collected a give and go on the right hand side, before cutting inside and curling a shot past Gianluca Curci at the far post.
Diego Perez tried to conjure up an equaliser, but no-one was on the end of his pull back in the box. Hellas quickly doubled their advantage just short of the half hour mark. Iturbe was given a licence to run at the Bologna defence and he unleashed a 25 yard shot which nestled in at the near post.
Minutes later, Iturbe carved open the Bologna defence once again. This time, his solo effort finished the wrong side of the far post. Bologna couldn't muster much in reply. Rafael easily gathered a weak Panagiotis Kone effort and Diamanti dragged an effort wide. Pioli hauled off the disappointing Rolando Bianchi with five first half minutes still to play. Diego Laxalt was also introduced at the start of the second half.
Bologna started the second half much like they did the first. Diamanti created space for himself in the area with a drag back, but couldn’t find a finish to match his clever build-up play after the ball landed on his weaker right foot. The Rossoblu were handed a penalty on 52 minutes after Alejandro Gomez tripped Davide Moscardelli. Diamanti stepped up and smashed the ball past the diving hand of Rafael to reduce his side’s arrears.
Verona put out Bologna's fire and restored their two goal cushion just four minutes later. Iturbe and Gomez unlocked the Bologna defence with a neat one two, leaving Toni all alone to stroke the ball underneath Curci from six yards.
The visitors were in cruise control. Jorginho flashed an angled drive just wide. Toni then sprung the offside trap, only to somehow skew his pass wide. The veteran held his hands up in apology to unmarked teammate Romulo.
Romulo almost got on the scoresheet himself. The Brazilian lifted the ball over Curci, only to see his effort finish wide. Bologna threw on Robert Acquafresca to go all out attack and Cristaldo sent a snapshot wide. Bologna's gung-ho approach predictably left holes at the back. Jorginho exposed the gap to find space in the box, only to hook a left footed shot over the bar.
The home side continued to pour forward in the final ten minutes. Laxalt burst into the box and swept a low shot into Rafael’s gloves. Toni broke at the other end and opted to go solo once again, instead of rolling across to an unmarked Romulo. Curci wasn’t called into action as Toni’s shot missed the target.
Rafael diverted Laxalt’s 25 yard drive around the post, before Verona added a fourth with the last kick of the game. Romulo gathered the ball from the byline and laid off for Jorginho to place a low shot underneath Curci.
Bologna: Curci; Garics, Antonsson, Sorensen, Morleo; Kone, Perez, (Acquafresca 68) Della Rocca; (Laxalt 46) Diamanti; Cristaldo, Bianchi (Moscardelli 40)
Hellas Verona: Rafael; Cacciatore, Gonzalez, Maietta, (Marques 83) Agostini; Donati, Jorginho, Romulo; Gomez, (Hallfredsson 84) Iturbe, (Martinho 68) Toni
Goals: Cacciatore 22 (V) Iturbe 29 (V) Diamanti pen 52 (B) Toni 56 (V) Jorginho 90 +3 (V)
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