On 23 December, one of the matches of the 17th round of the Italian football championship took place. Bologna (Italy) and Atalanta (Bergamo) met.
Italian Championship, 17th round
Bologna (Italy) - Atalanta (Bergamo) - 1:0 (0:0)
Goals: Ferguson (86)
Warnings: S. Posch (30), Martin de Roon (69), R. Freuler (71), Hans Hatebur (89), Scamacca (90+5), Davide Zappacosta (90+5).
Bologna defeated Atalanta 1-0 in a Serie A match. In a tense encounter, Bologna defeated Atalanta 1-0 at the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium. The first half was goalless, with both teams unable to take the lead. However, Bologna's L. Ferguson's shot in the 86th minute was the decisive moment of the match. The match started at a lively pace, with both sides showing attacking intentions. In the 30th minute, Bologna's S. Posh received a yellow card, which signalled an intensified physical struggle. The first half ended without goals and both teams were left looking for a breakthrough. At the start of the second half, Bologna made two early substitutions in the hope of turning the tide of the game. On 45 minutes D. Ndoye was replaced by K. Urbanski, and a minute later N. Moro was replaced by G. Fabbian. These changes gave Bologna's attack fresh energy and pushed Atalanta back. In the 67th minute Atalanta responded with their own substitutions. К. De Ketelare and L. Muriel were replaced by M. Ruggieri and D. Zappacosta respectively. However, despite these changes, neither team was able to establish control of the match. The intensity of the game grew and both sides struggled to dominate the midfield. In the 69th and 71st minutes, M. de Roon and R. Froehler of Bologna received yellow cards and the game began to be marred by fouls and penalties.
As time approached the last quarter of the match, Atalanta made another substitution, releasing S. Kolasinac and M. P. Froiler of Bologna in the 72nd minute. Kolasinac and M. Pasalic. They were soon joined by A. Lukman and G. Scamacca, who came on the pitch at the same minute, increasing Atalanta's attacking threat. "Bologna" responded with a third substitution in the 75th minute, releasing A. Salemaekers instead of R. Orsolini. The substitutions were aimed at bringing freshness and creativity to the last third of the game. Atalanta's frustration grew as the game neared its conclusion. In the 79th minute, D. Zappacosta received a yellow card, adding to the tension. As time ran out, the visitors made another substitution, replacing D. Zappacosta with T. Kopmeiners in the 85th minute. It seemed that the match would end in a goalless draw, but in the 86th minute L. Ferguson from Bologna scored and put the team off balance. The goal sparked great jubilation from the fans and put Bologna on the winning track. Emotions flared up in the final minutes, resulting in yellow cards for Atalanta players H. Hateboer and G. Scamacca in the 89th and 90th minutes respectively. With little time left in the match, Bologna also made a substitution, replacing M. Aebischer with J. Zirksee. Zirksee. After the final whistle, Bologna celebrated a hard-fought victory over a resilient Atalanta side. The 1-0 victory was a significant triumph for Bologna and strengthened its position in the Serie A standings.
The following matches await the rivals in the next round: Udinese vs Bologna, Atalanta vs Lecce.
| Bologna | Atalanta | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kicks to the goal | 2 |
| 9 | Kicks | 12 |
| 1 | Blocked shots | 2 |
| 5 | Penalty kicks | 9 |
| 4 | Kicks from outside the penalty box | 3 |
| 10 | Offences | 14 |
| 3 | Corner | 5 |
| 0 | Offsides | 1 |
| 60% | Ball possession | 40% |
| 2 | Yellow cards | 3 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 2 | Keeper saves | 0 |
| 611 | Total assists | 392 |
| 505 | Accurate assists | 305 |
| 83% | Passing accuracy | 78% |