Serie A

Football Italia

·11 February 2024

Serie A | Bologna 4-0 Lecce: Orsolini on song

Bologna looked more like their own selves by sweeping Lecce aside 4-0 with a Riccardo Orsolini brace, Sam Beukema and Jens Odgaard on target.

Thiago Motta’s side play their crucial head-to-head with Fiorentina on Wednesday, rescheduled due to the Supercoppa Italiana.

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Both sides ended a run of poor results with victories last week and were eager to build some momentum. Michel Aebischer and Valentin Gendrey were suspended, with Adama Soumaoro and Kastriot Dermaku injured, but Ylber Ramadani returned.

In the opening minutes, Wladimiro Falcone flew to fingertip an Alexis Saelemaekers rocket over the bar. On the resulting corner, a Lewis Ferguson effort at the back post was charged down, with Sam Beukema ready to tap in the rebound.

Joshua Zirkzee hit a fresh-air shot and Saelemaekers fired over, then Lukasz Skorupski’s gloves were stung by a Mohamed Kaba header and Nikola Krstovic failed to make the most of a Remo Freuler error playing out from the back, prodding wide of practically an open goal.

Riccardo Orsolini doubled Bologna’s lead when he got down the right and surprised Falcone from the tightest of angles, threading it through his legs with the weaker right foot.

Lameck Banda went off injured, so Nicola Sansone received a warm welcome from his old fans at the Stadio Dall’Ara.

Riccardo Calafiori drilled inches wide after a Bologna corner was not cleared effectively.

Orsolini completed his brace straight after the restart, as Calafiori started the run from his own half and rolled across, via a Giovanni Fabbian dummy, for the winger to sweep first-time into the far top corner with the inside of the left boot.

Bologna went down to 10 men, as Calafiori went off with a knee injury after all the substitutions had been completed. Nonetheless, Jens Odgaard pounced on a Federico Baschirotto error and surged forward to make it 4-0 on his debut for the club.