Bologna-Cremonese 1-1: Okereke penalty and Chiriches own goal

If this is Cremonese, terribly on track and also ambitious in wanting to seek salvation points even distorting themselves into an obvious imbalance, then there is some hope for the Grigiorossi. If this is Bologna, well, not only do we need something on the transfer market and from the infirmary (6 men less, including Arnautovic and Medel) but also rediscover that strength of play and depth that seems lost after the win in Udine. The Grigiorossi put together the ninth draw in the championship, they did not win for the nineteenth time but they came close. Really close. The lead with Okereke (penalty by Dominguez) was indeed equalized by a carambola-own goal by Chiriches, but the constant search for depth (and the insertion of Bonaiuto) put Motta’s team on the ropes a bit, close to 2-1 (risk of second own goal by Chiriches) but also close to knockout. In the latter hypothesis, the referee Marchetti was having a hand – clumsy -: penalty awarded to Cremonese and removed by the Var (it is Felix who kicks Lucumi), just as the Var had discovered the first penalty for Cremonese.

Wall

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Motta chooses Moro in place of Schouten and Soriano on the left for Aebischer. Ballardini, after the feat against “Maradona” in the Italian Cup, chooses to relaunch Chiriches in the middle of the defence, leaves Benassi down (Castagnetti is there) and opts for Ciofani in place of Felix (Dessers is injured). The first half never took off, with Bologna always keeping the ball in hand without being able to unhinge the Cremonese wall. Moro, Dominguez, Ferguson and Soriano work many balls but there are never outlets because the maneuver is unable to gain speed, Barrow has no flashes to create situations of numerical superiority while Orsolini is the most active on the other side. The first shots came from outside Listening, with a solo and left from the edge easily saved by Carnesecchi in the 12th minute and with another incursion from the right again intercepted by the Cremona goalkeeper in the 17th minute although spoiled by offside. Ballardini’s team defended with order, suffered very little and showed themselves forward with long balls – Ciofani tower for Okereke in the 18th minute, the only shot towards Skorupski – or calling into question Sernicola who sent a few crosses from the right without finding recipients in the center of the area. The greatest risk for the guests, after a shot from 25 meters by central Posch, comes by making a mistake from below, Orsolini intercepts on the trocar and serves Ferguson who is blocked by Chiriches after a pass inside the area in the 31st minute. The first half therefore goes into the archive with little emotion and the feeling that the game can only be unlocked with one episode.

Mockery and wake up

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In the second half, Thiago Motta left Barrow in the dressing room by launching Zirkzee in the center of the attack with Soriano brought wide to the left, but here came the episode that could break the balance. Lucumi-Dominguez indecision after a throw-in by Valeri with the Argentine touching and Marchetti awarding the penalty after the “on field review”: Okereke beat Skoruspki from the penalty spot and gave Cremonese the lead in the 5th minute. The goal wakes up Bologna who have an angry reaction: Orsolini shoots around touching the crossroads in the 7th minute, Dominguez sends wide a minute after a nice invitation from Zirkzee, who is awake in the 10th minute to propitiate Chiriches’ own goal pressing Ferrari who returns to his teammate after Carnesecchi’s rebuttal on Ferguson’s header. The match ignited suddenly, Bologna pressed but it was Cremonese who came close to scoring on the counterattack with Okereke primed by Benassi, who took over from Castagnetti together with Felix for Ciofani. After ten minutes of disarray following the draw, Ballardini’s team regroups, returns to build density behind and bogs down the game as in the first half, closing the way to the box for the rossoblùs, dangerous from the edge with Orsolini on 25′. With Bonaiuto for Valeri, the Lombards make it clear that they want to try the coup and in fact they become dangerous with a couple of restarts that Okereke and Felix are unable to materialize. In the 36th minute Marchetti was recalled again by the Var to the monitor after having awarded a penalty for a contact on Felix di Lucumi and after reviewing the action he correctly retraced his steps, but the big opportunity was for Bologna at the end of the match. Cambiaso (who will then go close to the advantage) crosses from the left, Orsolini volleys from a few meters and calls Carnesecchi to save with pinball again on Chiriches and Ferrari who saves on the line. Beautiful and very true recovery in seeing the two teams always and constantly looking for victory: it is the ninth all for Cremonese but the signs of awakening are extremely serious. Bologna, on the other hand, showed few traces of Udine’s victory. Very few.