Serie A, Verona-Bologna 2-1: two goals from Verdi

THE MATCH

A success was needed to continue dreaming of salvation and so it was, with a Verona side that could count on a super Simone Verdi and on the heart of a team that knew how to grit its teeth in the final minutes of the siege against Bologna. Zaffaroni’s men finished 2-1 at Bentegodi, with the Scala playmaker punishing his former team first with a penalty (the first in 31 days in favor of the yellow and blues) and then with a header. Then it’s suffering and a lot of sweat, for a result sought, desired and obtained in order to continue believing in salvation.

Formation news for Zaffaroni, with Magnani who recovers and replaces an affected Ceccherini and above all Verdi forward in place of Duda who takes a seat on the bench. On the other hand, Thiago Motta surprises by leaving Orsolini and Sansone on the bench, preferring to entrust the attack to the trident formed by Aebischer, Zirkzee and Barrow. Both returning from strong draws against Napoli and Milan, it is the hosts who have to play the game to snatch important points from the perspective of salvation, with Zaffaroni’s team looking for space right away to go towards Skorupski’s goal. The Bolognese, confident of the eighth place, however manage to stem the game of the Scaligeri, with a good management lap while waiting for the right ideas. The first golden opportunity came at the feet of Lasagna in the 12th minute, with the yellow and blue striker triggered on the counterattack with a great throw from Verdi, but face to face with Skorupski butt the ball annoyed by Kyriakopoulos. Hellas gaining confidence, pushed by the crowd present, with Verdi having a double chance with his left foot that requires overtime from the Polish goalkeeper. On the other side, in the 18th minute, it was Dominguez with a left foot who forced Montipò to play for a corner, but with a corner which was then thwarted. In the 22nd minute Bentegodi rejoices, only to be left with a bitter taste in his mouth when Mariani points to the spot for Posch’s foul on Depaoli and then assigns a penalty from the edge after consulting the VAR. Opportunity for Verdi, who however kicks on the barrier. But within a few minutes, between chances and good ball possession that frightened the rossoblu, Zaffaroni was forced to make two substitutions due to injuries to Abildgaard and Lasagna. In their place Duda and Lazovic, pawns that the Scala coach would certainly have played in the second half. In added time the turning point, with the decomposed exit of Skorupski who punches Gaich full in the face. This time the VAR awards Verona the first penalty of the season, with Verdi who does not let himself be hypnotized displacing the Polish goalkeeper with his right foot for the 1-0 of the hosts. Seven out of seven from eleven meters for the playmaker from the Veneto who signs the third goal of the season. And after 11′ of added time imposed between VAR interruptions and forced substitutions, Hellas goes to rest in the best way.

Match that resumes with news on both sides, with Zaffaroni who calls Djuric onto the field in place of a stunned Gaich from the punch suffered by Skorupski, and Thiago Motta who relies on Orsolini and Moro instead of Barrow and Aebischer. And Djuric immediately worried Bologna, with Verdi supporting the Bosnian attacker who, however, was unable to control the ball well. In the 12th minute it was Orsolini who tried to shake up Bologna, with a shot that went wide. But in the 17th minute it was Verdi again who took the lead, giving Verona the 2-0: first crosses from the left for Djuric, then forgotten by the rossoblu defense crowns the perfect ball put in the center by Faraoni. Game that ignites, with Bologna boarding to try to reopen it and Hellas trying to close in defense to start again on the counterattack when they have the opportunity. Orsolini and Dominguez try, with Montipò not being caught unprepared by blocking the two, but then he can’t do anything in recovery. To make Bentegodi tremble is the heart-pounding finale, with Dominguez who finds the goal that shortens the distance with a sublime lob in the 4th minute of recovery. Orsolini then has the equalizer in his feet a few moments later, but sends it high by starting the Verona party which toasts a very important success with a view to salvation.

REPORT CARDS

Pharaohs 6.5 – He pushes and gives substance to Verona’s attacks, then draws a perfect ball which for Verdi is a very sweet chocolate for the 2-0 that knocks out Bologna.

Verdi 7,5 – The harsh law of the ex, just when Verona needed the extra card to continue the race for salvation. The yellow-blue 7 takes the chair and is glacial first with a penalty and then with a header, giving a night in fourth from last place hoping for a misstep by Spezia.

Skorupski 5 – Mocked by his partner’s intervention on the occasion of the penalty foul, the Pole’s mistake paves the way for Verona. Then he gets nervous and can’t do anything about Verdi.

Dominguez 6 – The keys to the midfield at the Bentegodi have been lost for the Argentine who can’t handle the balls passed from his feet well. The net in full recovery deludes the of him.

THE TABLE

VERONA 2-1 BOLOGNA
Verona (3-4-2-1): Mount 6.5; Magnani 6 (36′ st Coppola sv), Hien 6, Dawidowicz 6; Pharaoh 6.5, Tamez 6, Abildgaard 6 (30′ pt Duda 6), Depaoli 6.5; Verdi 7.5 (36′ st Suleman sv); Lasagna 6 (40′ pt Lazovic 6), Gaich 6 (1′ st Djuric 6).
A disp.: Perilli, Berardi, Doig, Veloso, Braff, Ngonge, Kallon, Cabal. All.: Zaffaroni 6.5.
Bologna (4-3-3): Skorupski 5; Posch 5.5, Soumaoro 5.5 (14′ st Samsone 6), Lucumì 6, Kyriakopoulos 6; Dominguez 6, Schouten 6, Ferguson 6; Aebischer 5.5 (1st Moro 5.5), Zirkzee 5.5, Barrow 5.5 (1st Orsolini 6).
A disp.: Bardi, Ravaglia, Bonifazi, De Silvestri, Lykogiannis, Medel, Pyyhtia, Sosa. All.: Thiago Motta 5,5.
Referee: Mariani
Markers: 45’+6′ pt rig. Verdi (V), 17′ st Verdi (V), 45’+4′ st Dominguez (B)
Ammonite yourself: Faraoni, Doubt (V); Posch, Barrow, Dominguez, Skorupski (B)
Expelled: –

OPTA STATISTICS

• Verona have won five of their last eight home games in Serie A (D2 L1), as many victories as in the previous 20 played at Bentogodi in the competition (D3 L12).
• In 2023, only Roma (21) have won more points at home than Verona (17) in Serie A.
• Simone Verdi scored four braces in Serie A with four different shirts: Carpi, Bologna, Salernitana and Verona.
• Simone Verdi scored a brace in Serie A for the first time since 7 February 2022 (in that case with the Salernitana shirt against Spezia).
• Simone Verdi’s penalty goal is the first from the penalty spot by a Verona player in Serie A since the one scored by Gianluca Caprari against Spezia on 6 March 2022.
• Since wearing the Verona shirt (2019/20), Marco Faraoni is the defender who has provided the most assists in Serie A (19).
• Simone Verdi has scored all seven penalties he has taken in his career in Serie A: the Verona midfielder’s last goal from the penalty spot in the competition dates back to the match for Salernitana against Cagliari on 8 May 2022.
• Simone Verdi’s penalty goal is the first from the penalty spot by a Verona player in Serie A since the one scored by Gianluca Caprari against Spezia on 6 March 2022.
• Verona picked up two home wins in a row against Bologna in Serie A for the first time since 1969.
• Verona picked up two home wins in a row for the second time in 2023, having managed to do so only once in the entire previous calendar year (three wins against Bologna, Udinese and Venice under the technical guidance of Igor Tudor between January and February 2022).
• Bologna lost a Serie A match for the first time since last March (1-0 away defeat against Torino).
• Nicolas Dominguez’s goal (93′ 03″) is the latest scored by Bologna in Serie A since Federico Santander’s (93′ 40″ against Sassuolo in December 2021).
• Nicolas Dominguez has scored a goal in Serie A for the first time since 8 October 2022 (v Sampdoria in that case).
• Since the beginning of 2023, only Juventus and Napoli (both seven) have scored more header goals than Verona in Serie A (five).
• Bologna are the team that has conceded the most goals from penalties in this Serie A (seven).
• Bologna do not field Italian players in the starting line-up for a Serie A match for the third time in their history after also doing so in Milan-Bologna on 4 April 2022 and Bologna-Sampdoria on 14 April 2022.