Italiano blames Bologna for 98th-minute Roma equaliser | OneFootball

Vincenzo Italiano refused to blame the referee or VAR after Bologna conceded a last-gasp penalty to draw 2-2 with Roma. ‘We keep throwing points away in the final minutes.’

The Rossoblu thought they had done enough to secure victory at the Stadio Dall’Ara this evening with a tremendous reaction to going behind on the Alexis Saelemaekers effort.

They scored twice in four minutes through Thijs Dallinga and a Lewis Ferguson penalty, also wasting a few chances to extend the advantage.

However, Artem Dovbyk converted from the spot with the last kick of the game after VAR spotted the Evan N’Dicka flick-on hitting Jhon Lucumi on the hand from point-blank range.

Italiano sees recurring Bologna problem

BOLOGNA, ITALY – JANUARY 12: Players of Bologna and AS Roma speak to Rosario Abisso, Match referee after AS Roma are awarded a penalty during the Serie A match between Bologna and AS Roma at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on January 12, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“My first thought is that we keep throwing points away in the final minutes,” Italiano told DAZN, resisting the urge to blame the referee and VAR.

“The regret is the way we deal with the ball in added time. We can certainly learn from this, the lads are disappointed, because conceding with the last kick of the game is definitely painful.”

Claudio Ranieri said Roma moved the ball around too slowly in the first half and Italiano had a similar complaint about his own team.

“We were too slow in the first half and allowed Roma’s defence the time to get back into shape. We sensed their enthusiasm at the start, but once we had taken the lead, we had the chances to go 3-1 up.

“It was certainly entertaining after the break, but we must improve in how we control the game.”

Considering that dropping points in the final minutes is a recurring theme for Bologna, what can Italiano do to stop it happening?

“I played football for 20 years and I can assure you there is no coach who can truly explain how to deal with the final minutes. You need to put individuality aside and preserve the team dynamic. At least the youth of the team means there is room for improvement.”

This was Bologna’s first match of 2025, because their Serie A game with Inter was rescheduled for next week due to the Supercoppa Italiana.

“We go to San Siro in a few days to play Inter, but we arrive with belief and are ready to give our best. It’ll be difficult, but we must play the way we can.”