Bologna’s blushes were spared by a last-minute equalizer from De Silvestri against Genoa

Bologna’s unbeaten home streak of 10 matches (W8, D2) continued after securing a 1-1 draw against Genoa, thanks to Lorenzo De Silvestri’s 96th-minute equalizer. Despite being fifth in the standings, Bologna aimed to recover from a 3-0 loss to Udinese in their previous outing, facing a Genoa side with a strong record at the Renato Dall’Ara Stadium, having lost only once in their last six visits.

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The home team, donned in red and blue, initially dominated, and Riccardo Orsolini came close to scoring a stunning long-range goal, saved brilliantly by Josep Martinez. Despite the positive start, Bologna conceded their first home goal in Serie A in five matches when Albert Gudmundsson’s free-kick found the bottom corner, making it 1-0 after 20 minutes.

In their quest to equalize, Bologna had their best chance of the first half through Joshua Zirkzee, but Martinez easily handled the shot. The home side entered the second half trailing, setting the stage for De Silvestri’s late heroics.

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The hosts struggled to generate any chances after the restart and eventually failed to test a well-drilled Genoa defense, looking very much like they would begin their 2024 campaign with a loss at home.

A strong half-volley by substitute Michel Aebischer almost brought the season to a close, but the excellent Martinez in goal saved it once more. Then, with a header from a free kick, Riccardo Calafiori gave Bologna their first goal, but unfortunately for him, the linesman quickly waved his flag to disqualify it.

To the credit of the home team, the players kept trying to equalize, and with just a few seconds left, replacement De Silvestri struck the net after pouncing on a rebound from a corner, making it 1-1 as the final whistle blew.

Bologna is now within one point of a UEFA Champions League spot after the hard-fought draw, while Genoa is still in 12th place.