Bologna dominated possession, but it was Torino who had the best chance to win with Che Adams hitting the crossbar.

The Rossoblu were unbeaten in five, but fumbled a 2-0 lead to draw with Fiorentina at the weekend. Emil Holm was sent off in that game and therefore suspended today, with Ciro Immobile injured, but Jens Odgaard returned to the squad. Coach Vincenzo Italiano was released from hospital, but not ready for the touchline yet after treatment for pneumonia. Toro had found form with seven points in three rounds, as Alberto Paleari took the gloves following sensational saves against Genoa. Niels Nkounkou, Zanos Savva and Perr Schuurs remained on the treatment table.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Che Adams thought he had opened the scoring for Torino when he pounced on the Martin Vitik error to go clear, but the powerful finish cracked against the crossbar.

Moments later, the hosts replied with a Charalampos Lykogiannis curler that was arrowing into the far top corner until Paleari’s save at full stretch. On the resulting corner, Federico Bernardeschi fired inches wide.

Santiago Castro came on for the second half and Bologna seemed far more aggressive, having dominated possession with little to show for it.

Immediately, a Bernardeschi half-volley was looping into the far top corner until the acrobatic Paleari fingertip save.

Lykogiannis again skimmed the upright, then had to help in defence with a crucial block on Cesare Casadei.

Nadir Zortea’s angled drive whistled past the far post, but Bologna were unable to find a way through.

Bologna 0-0 Torino

29-10-2025 19:45

MatchDay 9

Renato Dall'Ara Stadium

BGN

TOR

0 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

		37'		Ivan Ilić
		40'		Adrien Tameze

2nd half

Jens Odgaard		64'
		71'		Ardian Ismajli
Charalampos Lykogiannis		85'

Match statistic

71

Possession %

29

11

Total shots

8

2

Shots on target

2

7

Shots off target

4

2

Blocked shots

2

3

Corners

3

0

Offsides

2

11

Fouls

20

BGN

TOR

Starting lineups

1

Lukasz Skorupski

Goalkeeper

22

Charalampos Lykogiannis

Defender

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

67'

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

67'

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

82'

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

67'

24

Thijs Dallinga

Attacker

46'

1

Alberto Paleari

Goalkeeper

13

Guillermo Maripán

Defender

16

Marcus Pedersen

Defender

23

Saúl Coco

Defender

20

Valentino Lazaro

Defender

61

Adrien Tameze

Midfielder

58'

22

Cesare Casadei

Midfielder

66

Gvidas Gineitis

Midfielder

58'

8

Ivan Ilić

Midfielder

79'

19

Ché Adams

Attacker

57'

26

Cyril Ngonge

Attacker

86'

Substitutes

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

29

Lorenzo De Silvestri

Defender

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

Ibrahim Sulemana

Midfielder

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

46'

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

67'

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

67'

30

Benja Domínguez

Attacker

67'

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

82'

34

Cristiano Biraghi

Defender

14

Tino Anjorin

Midfielder

5

Adam Masina

Defender

6

Emirhan Ilkhan

Midfielder

21

Ali Dembélé

Defender

71

Mihai Popa

Goalkeeper

92

Alieu Njie

Attacker

99

Lapo Siviero

Goalkeeper

18

Giovanni Simeone

Attacker

57'

44

Ardian Ismajli

Defender

58'

10

Nikola Vlasic

Midfielder

58'

32

Kristjan Asllani

Midfielder

79'

91

Duván Zapata

Attacker

86'

Remo Freuler’s future is back in the spotlight as Bologna work to secure a contract extension for the experienced midfielder.

The 33-year-old is tied to the Rossoblù until June 2026, and initial discussions have already taken place in recent weeks.

However, progress has been slow, and another club may now be considering an approach.

Gasperini seeks Freuler reunion at Roma

According to reports from Il Resto del Carlino, via TuttoMercatoWeb, Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini has made an exploratory call to Freuler to understand the player’s openness to a future move to the capital.

The two know each other extremely well, with Freuler having made 254 appearances under Gasperini during their long spell together at Atalanta, the most he has played for any coach in his career.

For now, concrete steps are yet to be taken, but Roma’s interest could increase pressure on Bologna to accelerate renewal talks and avoid letting the situation drift.

Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano has been discharged from hospital, the club said in a statement.

The 47-year-old was hospitalised due to pneumonia last week, missing games against FCSB in the Europa League and Fiorentina in Serie A.

Italiano discharged from hospital – Bologna statement

“This morning, Vincenzo Italian was discharged from the Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi,” Bologna said in a statement on Tuesday.

“His clinical condition is good, the coach will return to work tomorrow and will remain under observation by the club’s medical staff.

“Bologna sincerely thanks Prof. Stefano Nava, Director of the Pulmonology Department at the Policlinico, Prof. Lara Pisani, and all the staff of the department for their professionalism, kindness and availability shown toward the coach.”

Bologna host Torino at the Stadio Dall’Ara tomorrow, but it’s not guaranteed that Italiano will return to the bench right away.

David De Gea called for calm and unity after Fiorentina’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Bologna at the Stadio Franchi, insisting the Viola must stay mentally strong to overcome their current difficulties.

Despite fighting back from 2-0 down thanks to two late penalties, the mood around the club remains tense, with Stefano Pioli’s side still struggling for consistency in Serie A.

Speaking to DAZN after the match, via TuttoMercatoWeb, De Gea backed the message of goalscorer Moise Kean, who had urged the squad to believe in themselves. “As Moise said, we have to believe,” the Spanish goalkeeper stressed.

“It’s difficult when the victories don’t arrive, but we must stay positive. Even if we didn’t play a great game and we are in a difficult moment, we still came back in a tough match. We need to work hard and go in the same direction for the good of Fiorentina.”

De Gea: ‘We could have lost 6-0…’

The former Manchester United keeper also highlighted the difference in level between domestic and European competition. “The Conference League is different,” he noted.

“The opponents we’ve faced there are of a lower level compared to Serie A. Here it’s not easy, but if we keep working and focus on each match, we can do better.”

De Gea admitted that the atmosphere inside the stadium briefly shook the team after Bologna’s disallowed third goal. “In that moment, I thought we could lose 6-0,” he confessed.

“But then we gained confidence and almost won the match. We must do more and stay positive, for the fans too. We all need to be united and move in the same direction.”

Stefano Pioli believes Fiorentina showed character in their dramatic 2-2 draw with Bologna, fighting back from 2-0 down thanks to late penalties from Guðmundsson and Moise Kean.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, via TuttoMercatoWeb, the Viola coach admitted his side still have plenty to fix, but praised the team’s refusal to collapse.

“I don’t think we deserved to lose, but certain episodes were punishing us too harshly,” Pioli said.

“We didn’t develop our play well in the first half, but with Bologna that can happen. We had chances with Ranieri and Moise, and the important thing is that the team didn’t give up.”

Pioli accepts protests after Fiorentina 2-2 Bologna

The coach also accepted the criticism that arrived from the Curva Fiesole. “The fans have always supported us and they have the right to protest if they feel it is necessary. They always have the final say,” he noted.

Looking at the tactical issues, Pioli admitted Fiorentina must find better balance in midfield. “Bologna don’t let you play comfortably, and in some positions Fagioli needed to be found more. We must improve our structure and find better equilibrium,” he said.

On refereeing and VAR, Pioli was blunt: “Right now everything is confused. You can’t understand who is truly making the decisions. For me, the referee must decide more and the VAR less.”

The coach underlined that the table remains disappointing, but insisted the team will continue to work. “We are not satisfied, but we go forward trying to grow,” he concluded.

Moise Kean urged Fiorentina to show greater character and take responsibility for their season after the Viola battled back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Bologna at the Stadio Franchi.

Two second-half penalties, including Kean’s equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time, snatched a point and prevented a damaging home defeat.

Speaking to DAZN after the game, the striker was clear about what must change: “Only we can turn our season around – it’s up to us to show some balls and step up,” he said, with quotes via FiorentinaNews, insisting the team must raise their mentality if they want different results.

Kean calm in equalising goal for Fiorentina against Bologna

Kean also explained that he felt calm when stepping up for the decisive penalty: “I didn’t feel any pressure. My teammates believed in me and I just tried to stay positive,” he added.

Looking ahead, the forward stressed that Fiorentina owe more to the city and their supporters: “Fiorentina deserves a lot, and so do my teammates. We’re a good group and we can achieve great things. We need to stay positive ahead of Milan against Inter.”

Fiorentina leave the pitch with mixed emotions: proud of their comeback, but aware that dropped points at home continue to complicate their already shaky start to the campaign.

Fiorentina completed the comeback from 2-0 down to hold Bologna 2-2 in stoppages with Albert Gudmundsson and Moise Kean penalties, after Emil Holm was sent off.

Both teams were fresh from UEFA victories on Thursday, but while the Viola had a 3-0 win away to Rapid Vienna, they were still without a single success in Serie A. Moise Kean and Robin Gosens returned after being rested, with Tariq Lamptey and Christian Kouame long-term absentees. The Rossoblu lost Jens Odgaard to a knock during the 2-1 win at Steaua Bucharest, joining Ciro Immobile on the treatment table. Coach Vincenzo Italiano missed the trip back to the Stadio Franchi, as he was still undergoing treatment for pneumonia.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Kean drilled inches wide when clear on goal in the opening minutes, but had been caught offside to spare his blushes, while David De Gea fingertipped a looping Santiago Castro strike out from under the crossbar.

Bologna had penalty appeals rejected for a possible Dodo handball, as the footage did not clearly show contact, but they did take the lead.

A corner was not cleared properly and the Pablo Mari header floated into the path of Santiago Castro, who performed a spectacular volley into the far top corner from 12 yards. It was his first Serie A goal outside the Dall’Ara since January.

Fiorentina should’ve equalised moments later when Rolando Mandragora flicked on a corner to the back post, but Luca Ranieri shinned it over from point-blank range.

Nicolò Cambiaghi curled wide and Lukasz Skorupski palmed away a long-range Mandragora free kick.

There was chaos straight after the restart, as the referee awarded a Fiorentina penalty for handball, but it was Skorupski who got his hand to it rather than Jhon Lucumi, and Kean handled too during the two charged down attempts, so it was revoked following a VAR review.

Instead, Bologna doubled their lead when Emil Holm got down the right and pulled across the face of goal, with Cambiaghi getting there first to toe-poke in from six yards.

Kean stung Skorupski’s gloves after a run from midfield, but again the Rossoblu were more clinical and pounced when De Gea parried the Riccardo Orsolini free header at the back post, but could do nothing on the Thijs Dallinga follow-up. However, this goal was disallowed for Orsolini’s offside position.

Nonetheless, many Fiorentina fans started leaving the stadium in protest at their current Serie A form and chanting insults towards the club and squad.

The Viola finally did get their penalty, as after a Juan Miranda goal-line clearance on Edin Dzeko, Lewis Ferguson charged down the Dodo cross with his arm. Albert Gudmundsson rolled a precise snooker shot beyond Skorupski’s fingertips into the near bottom corner for his first Serie A goal of the season.

This suddenly changed the game and after Federico Bernardeschi had penalty appeals rejected for a coming together with Sabiri, Emil Holm received his second yellow card for bringing down Fortini.

The tension also got to Jonathan Rowe, who was substituted to bring on a defender and was booked after his exit for kicking the ball into the stands.

Kean’s acrobatic scissor-kick volley on a Dodo cross was charged down by Bernardeschi’s arms in front of his face, but considered to be in an unnatural position following a VAR review. Kean insisted on stepping up this time and sent Skorupski the wrong way to equalise in stoppages.

A scuffle broke out between Dzeko and Lucumi, then Fiorentina thought they had to win it with the last kick of the game when Skorupski only palmed a Roberto Piccoli header into the path of Dodo, but the Brazilian prodded the rebound onto the side-netting.

Fiorentina 2-2 Bologna

Castro 25 (B), Cambiaghi 52 (B), Gudmundsson pen 74 (F), Kean pen 94 (F)

Sent off: Holm 83 (B)

26-10-2025 17:00

MatchDay 8

Artemio Franchi Stadium

FIO

BGN

2 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

		25'		Santiago Castro
Robin Gosens		36'
		39'		Remo Freuler

2nd half

		52'		Nicolò Cambiaghi (Assist: Emil Holm)
Albert Gudmundsson		58'
		71'		Emil Holm
Albert Gudmundsson		73'
		83'		Emil Holm
Moise Kean		90+4'
Edin Dzeko		90+6'
		90+6'		Jhon Lucumí

Match statistic

51

Possession %

49

19

Total shots

6

7

Shots on target

3

7

Shots off target

2

5

Blocked shots

1

5

Corners

6

5

Offsides

3

13

Fouls

20

FIO

BGN

Starting lineups

43

David de Gea

Goalkeeper

2

Dodô

Defender

6

Luca Ranieri

Defender

85'

5

Marin Pongracic

Defender

18

Pablo Marí

Defender

14

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia

Midfielder

64'

44

Nicolò Fagioli

Midfielder

54'

21

Robin Gosens

Midfielder

53'

8

Rolando Mandragora

Midfielder

54'

10

Albert Gudmundsson

Attacker

20

Moise Kean

Attacker

1

Lukasz Skorupski

Goalkeeper

2

Emil Holm

Defender

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

77'

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

64'

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

77'

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

64'

Substitutes

26

Mattia Viti

Defender

65

Fabiano Parisi

Defender

22

Jacopo Fazzini

Midfielder

1

Luca Lezzerini

Goalkeeper

7

Simon Sohm

Midfielder

30

Tommaso Martinelli

Goalkeeper

15

Pietro Comuzzo

Defender

24

Amir Richardson

Midfielder

60

Eddy Kouadio

Defender

29

Niccolò Fortini

Midfielder

53'

9

Edin Dzeko

Attacker

54'

27

Cher Ndour

Midfielder

54'

11

Abdelhamid Sabiri

Attacker

64'

91

Roberto Piccoli

Attacker

85'

22

Charalampos Lykogiannis

Defender

29

Lorenzo De Silvestri

Defender

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

Ibrahim Sulemana

Midfielder

30

Benja Domínguez

Attacker

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

24

Thijs Dallinga

Attacker

64'

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

77'

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

77'

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

86'

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Call to the top 

Napoli: 3-1 and first place, Inter furious 

Debatable penalty from De Bruyne (who gets hrt while scoring the goal for 1-0). Marotta: ‘We’re angry, it changed the game’. Conte: ‘Stop acting like the pope’. Arguments and insults with Lautaro. Goals from McTominay and Anguissa, Calhanoglu’s penalty unhelpful

Juve

Tudor: ‘Not afraid’. David with Vlahovic, Yildiz on the bench, but he is about to sign 

Roma 

Dybala attack, they need goals to take the lead

Corriere dello Sport 

Napoli cackle 

Conte silences Inter and Marotta

What a lesson: 3-1

The champions return to first place: Gasp’s Roma could draw level today

De Bruyne, McTominay and Anguissa decide the clash. Calhanoglu’s goal at 2-1 no good. The President: ‘Their victory came from a soft penalty’. Antonio: ‘Those are excuses, I wouldn’t have let one of my directors complain like that’. Sparks also fly with Lautaro at the end

Tudor wall: ‘Sacked? I’m not afraid’

Lazio-Juve at 19.45: Igor hasn’t won in seven games 

The Croatian: ‘Yildiz being like Del Piero? Comparisons are tricky’. Sarri: ‘We might have different ideas to Lotito, but our relationship is normal’

Kean and Castro, Derby call 

Fiorentina-Bologna at the Franchi 

The viola have lost three in three at home in the league. The Argentine could push Italiano to -2 from Napoli

Tuttosport

‘I’m not afraid’ 

Tudor against his Old Lazio. Needs to find goals and wins again. ‘I’m not afraid of the sack. And I want a more attacking Juve’

The coach protects his team: ‘I’m only thinking about the players, not about myself’, and tries to take the pressure off Yildiz: ‘Like Del Piero? Calm down’. Tempted to play the Turk with Conceicao behind Vlahovic and David. Zhegrova case. Perin in goal? 

Conte rises Napoli, Inter and Lautaro on a tilt 

Penalties, woodwork, battles, injuries, scuffles: The 3-1 at the MAradona had it all 

‘Go on Toro! Ride the wave of enthusiasm’ 

Against Genoa at 11.30, in a full stadium

Baroni: ‘The hug with the supporters was great, we can’t take anything for granted now’ Cholito looking for his third consecutive goal. Israel out, there’s Paleari

Gasp to Dybala: ‘Words weren’t right, score goals and assist, you’ 

Paulo critical after the Euro-flop 

Italy ranks 8th in the UEFA Coefficient ranking after the latest round of European matches, but it has slightly closed the gap with the second spot.

Serie A clubs collected just three victories in the latest round of European games.

Serie A clubs’ results in European competitions

Inter were the only Italian side to collect all three points in the Champions League, while Bologna won their first Europa League game this term and Fiorentina beat Rapid Wien 3-0 away in the Conference League.

Juventus and Napoli lost their Champions League games against Real Madrid and PSV, respectively, and Roma suffered their second consecutive Europa League defeat, capitulating at the Olimpico against Viktoria Plzen.

Atalanta were the only Serie A club to collect a draw as they were held to a goalless stalemate by Slavia Prague in the Champions League.

The latest results in Europe mean Italy have not moved from eighth position in the UEFA Coefficient ranking, but they are slightly closer to the second spot compared to the latest round of European games at the start of October.

Italy’s position has not changed, but two weeks ago, Serie A was 847 points below the second spot occupied by England, while now it is 743 points behind Portugal, who have been overtaken by England at the top of the table.

Only the first two spots grant an extra Champions League placement for the following season, an accomplishment that Italy fulfilled in the 2023-24 campaign.

Update UEFA Coefficient ranking – October 24, 2025

England (9/9) – 8.166

Portugal (4/5) – 7.600

Poland (4/4) – 7.375

Germany (7/7) – 7.285

Spain (8/8) – 7.250

Cyprus (3/4) – 7.250

Denmark (2/4) – 7.125

Italy (7/7) – 6.857

France (7/7) – 6.071

Netherlands (6/6) – 5.750

After the first three matchdays, Midtjylland are the unexpected leaders of the Europa League table, with both Bologna and Roma floundering in the bottom half.

This is the second season using the new opening league phase format of the tournament, with all 36 teams going into a single table.

It was evident from last term that overall goal difference is crucial when so many sides are going to have roughly the same number of points.

After three games, only three teams still have a 100 per cent record, as Midtjylland are on top with a goal difference of +6, ahead of Sporting Braga and Olympique Lyonnais, all with nine points.

Only the top eight go straight through to the Europa League Round of 16, with the sides from ninth to 24^th entering the play-offs.

Teams from 25^th to 36^th position are eliminated from Europe altogether.

Bologna are currently in 18^th position on four points from three games, having lost 1-0 away to Aston Villa, drawn 1-1 with Freiburg and beaten FCSB 2-1.

Roma are hovering just above the elimination places on three points following their 2-1 win at OGC Nice, then home defeats to both Lille and Viktoria Plzen.

However, it’s by a thread, seeing as they have a goal difference of -1, the same as Feyenoord in 25^th place and the elimination spots.

The Giallorossi are ahead purely because they scored two away goals compared to one from Basel and zero for Feyenoord.

Europa League standings after Matchday 3

Bologna assistant manager Daniel Niccolini dedicated the Europa League win against FCSB to coach Vincenzo Italiano and warned the strikers need to be ‘more altruistic.’

Coach Italiano was forced to watch from his hospital bed, where he has been for the last couple of days receiving treatment for pneumonia.

“I haven’t spoken to him yet, but we really wanted to dedicate this victory to him. He lives for football and suffers so much having to watch on television,” assistant manager Niccolini told Sky Sport Italia.

The Rossoblu secured their first Europa League victory of the campaign after a 1-0 defeat away to Aston Villa and disappointing 1-1 home stalemate with Freiburg.

Bologna pick up first Europa League victory

They came out fighting in Bucharest, taking a 2-0 lead within 12 minutes thanks to goals from Jens Odgaard and Thijs Dallinga.

However, they wasted opportunities to further extend their advantage, thanking Lukasz Skorupski for some big saves, and allowing the Daniel Birligea goal to set up a tense finale.

“We had the right approach and the first 35 minutes were very good, then you will inevitably suffer a little under pressure when playing away from home.

“We had so many chances to score a third goal, also hitting the woodwork, so the only thing we were missing was that extra goal to lock it down.”

There were some moments when the Bologna strikers were shouting at each other, as they opted to go for goal rather than provide an assist.

“In some situations, we need to be a little more altruistic, because we could’ve killed the game off earlier and had less suffering towards the end,” acknowledged Niccolini.

“I understand the strikers want to score goals, especially Orsolini who hadn’t managed to find the net, so we can allow it in this case. Dallinga works hard and is always positive, I think he is doing very well.”

With the massive squad rotation, Odgaard seems to be the player they struggle to leave out.

“This is a team with many players who are alternatives to each other, but nobody else has Odgaard’s characteristics. He can shoot, pass, score goals, but also sacrifice himself for the team.”

Bologna secured their first Europa League win of the season with early Jens Odgaard and Thijs Dallinga goals, but thanked Lukasz Skorupski for some big saves against Steaua Bucharest.

The Rossoblu were coming off back-to-back Serie A victories, but still looking for their first Europa League success after a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa and 1-1 draw with Freiburg. Ciro Immobile was the only remaining injury absentee, though coach Vincenzo Italiano missed out, as he was in hospital undergoing treatment for pneumonia. Steaua Bucharest beat the Go Ahead Eagles away and lost 2-0 at home to Young Boys, having dropped out of the Champions League preliminary rounds and beaten Aberdeen in the Europa League play-offs.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Remo Freuler’s high press in midfield proved decisive, as it allowed Thijs Dallinga to roll across from the left, for the simplest of Jens Odgaard tap-ins.

Bologna doubled their lead moments later from a corner, as a Charalampos Lykogiannis volley was deflected, the goalkeeper preventing an own goal, but unable to stop Dallinga turning in the rebound.

Orsolini was far too greedy when he should’ve rolled across for Dallinga, instead going for goal himself, forcing a double save on him and then Jonathan Rowe.

Orsolini also had the ball in the net on 32 minutes, but was offside before the fantastic bit of skill to turn a defender from six yards.

Lukasz Skorupski had to make a desperate double save on a corner, flapping away both the initial Siyabonga Ngezana header and the Adrian Sut rebound. A few minutes later, the Bologna goalkeeper was again called into action by Mamadou Thiam, who had sent a defender to ground.

Rowe was at serious risk of a second yellow card on the stroke of half-time for a clumsy high boot, as the referee seemed to put a hand to his pocket and take it away.

Orsolini drilled inches wide from the edge of the box, but Steaua got back into the game moments later. A cross from the right was not cleared effectively by Martin Vitik, and Jhon Lucumi was too slow to react, allowing substitute Daniel Birligea to volley in from six yards.

Nikola Moro and Niccolò Cambiaghi scorchers were just over from outside the area, while Dallinga blasted straight at the goalkeeper after cutting inside from the left.

Birligea also threatened an equaliser, nodding onto the side-netting at the back post, while Orsolini’s attempted tap-in was cleared in the six-yard box on a Dallinga roll across.

Tarnovanu got down for a crucial fingertip save to push the Odgaard snooker shot round the base of the upright.

Orsolini was ready with a chest and half-volley from nine yards, deflected onto the woodwork by Ngezana’s desperate lunge.

FCSB 1-2 Bologna

Odgaard 9 (B), Dallinga 12 (B), Birligea 54 (S)

23-10-2025 17:45

MatchDay 3

Arena Națională

FCSB

BGN

1 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

		9'		Jens Odgaard (Assist: Torbjørn Heggem)
		12'		Thijs Dallinga
		17'		Torbjørn Heggem
		26'		Jonathan Rowe
David Miculescu		28'
		40'		Jens Odgaard

2nd half

Daniel Birligea		54'
		68'		Nicolò Cambiaghi
		76'		Lukasz Skorupski
Octavian Popescu		87'
Risto Radunovic		90+1'

Match statistic

46

Possession %

54

9

Total shots

21

6

Shots on target

7

3

Shots off target

9

0

Blocked shots

5

4

Corners

10

1

Offsides

1

18

Fouls

20

FCSB

BGN

Starting lineups

32

Ștefan Târnovanu

Goalkeeper

33

Risto Radunovic

Defender

28

Alexandru Pantea

Defender

30

Siyabonga Ngezana

Defender

8

Adrian Șut

Midfielder

46'

42

Baba Alhassan

Midfielder

27

Darius Olaru

Midfielder

86'

31

Juri Cisotti

Midfielder

46'

16

Mihai Lixandru

Midfielder

11

David Miculescu

Attacker

93

Mamadou Thiam

Attacker

64'

1

Lukasz Skorupski

Goalkeeper

22

Charalampos Lykogiannis

Defender

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

67'

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

46'

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

46'

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

77'

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

85'

24

Thijs Dallinga

Attacker

Substitutes

38

Lukas Zima

Goalkeeper

7

Denis Alibec

Attacker

12

David Kiki

Defender

34

Mihai Udrea

Goalkeeper

4

Daniel Graovac

Defender

10

Florin Tanase

Midfielder

46'

9

Daniel Birligea

Attacker

46'

37

Octavian Popescu

Attacker

64'

20

Dennis Politic

Midfielder

86'

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

46'

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

46'

2

Emil Holm

Defender

67'

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

77'

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

85'

Bologna director Marco Di Vaio says absent coach Vincenzo Italiano is ‘like a caged lion’ in hospital while his team plays Steaua Bucharest in the Europa League.

It kicks off at the National Arena in Bucharest at 17.45 UK time (16.45 GMT).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Roma-Viktoria Plzen and Rapid Vienna-Fiorentina on the Liveblog.

Bologna without coach Italiano in Bucharest

“Our target is to finish in the top 24, we only have one point so far, which means we need to win the game. This is why we made these choices for the starting XI,” Di Vaio told Sky Sport Italia.

Italiano is forced to miss this match, as he is stuck in a hospital room in Bologna undergoing treatment for pneumonia.

“He is feeling rather like a caged lion in there!”

The Rossoblu have won their last two Serie A games, but are still looking for their first win in Europe following a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa and 1-1 draw with Freiburg.

“We have improved our fitness levels, especially the strikers like Odgaard and Cambiaghi, now Castro, Dallinga and Bernardeschi are growing too. We have Fabbian back, so many players with a lot of potential who can make a big impact on how we perform.

“Hopefully, they can all be healthy and give us those alternatives to rotate.”

Bologna have a significantly better home record than away in Europe, both last season and in the current campaign, so how can that change?

“There is more experience now, but perhaps we are lacking some of the confidence that we can call upon in front of our home fans. We had some very strong opponents in the Champions League last season, and the opener this term was Aston Villa, who are of that level,” added Di Vaio.

“Now we hope to start getting points on our travels with the same focus and determination we have at the Stadio Dall’Ara.”

Bologna look to Riccardo Orsolini and Jonathan Rowe in the Europa League trip to Steaua Bucharest, but coach Vincenzo Italiano remains in hospital.

It kicks off at the National Arena in Bucharest at 17.45 UK time (16.45 GMT).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Roma-Viktoria Plzen and Rapid Vienna-Fiorentina on the Liveblog.

The Rossoblu have won their last two Serie A games, but are still looking for their first win in Europe following a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa and 1-1 home stalemate with Freiburg.

Ciro Immobile is the only remaining injury absentee, though they still make big changes for squad rotation.

These include bringing Orsolini, Rowe and Thijs Dallinga into the attack with Jens Odgaard.

Coach Italiano remains in hospital undergoing treatment for pneumonia and is also expected to miss this weekend’s Serie A match against his old club Fiorentina.

Steaua Bucharest beat the Go Ahead Eagles 1-0 away in their Europa League opener, then lost 2-0 at home to Swiss side Young Boys.

Vlad Chiriches, Daniel Graovac, Joyskim Dawa and Mihai Popescu are on the treatment table.

They had originally been in the Champions League preliminary rounds, then knocked Aberdeen FC out in the Europa play-offs.

It has been a poor season domestically so far for FCSB, managing only three wins, four draws and six defeats in the Romanian SuperLiga.

Former Inter and Bologna striker Denis Alibec is in the squad, along with Italian midfielder Juri Cisotti.

FCSB vs. Bologna official line-ups

FCSB: Tarnovanu; Pantea, Ngezana, Lixandru, Radunovic; Alhassan, Șut; Miculescu, Olaru, Cisotti; Thiam

FCSB bench: Udrea, Zima, Graovac, Alibec, Birilgea, Tanase, Kiki, Politic, Popescu

Bologna: Skorupski; Zortea, Heggem, Lucumi, Lykogiannis; Moro, Freuler; Orsolini, Odgaard, Rowe, Dallinga

Bologna bench: Ravaglia, Pessina, Holm, Pobega, Castro, Bernardeschi, Casale, Ferguson, Cambiaghi, Miranda, Vitik, Fabbian

Ref: Treimanis (LVA)

23-10-2025 17:45

MatchDay 3

Arena Națională

FCSB

BGN

1 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

		9'		Jens Odgaard (Assist: Torbjørn Heggem)
		12'		Thijs Dallinga
		17'		Torbjørn Heggem
		26'		Jonathan Rowe
David Miculescu		28'
		40'		Jens Odgaard

2nd half

Daniel Birligea		54'
		68'		Nicolò Cambiaghi
		76'		Lukasz Skorupski
Octavian Popescu		87'
Risto Radunovic		90+1'

Match statistic

46

Possession %

54

9

Total shots

21

6

Shots on target

7

3

Shots off target

9

0

Blocked shots

5

4

Corners

10

1

Offsides

1

18

Fouls

20

FCSB

BGN

Starting lineups

32

Ștefan Târnovanu

Goalkeeper

33

Risto Radunovic

Defender

28

Alexandru Pantea

Defender

30

Siyabonga Ngezana

Defender

8

Adrian Șut

Midfielder

46'

42

Baba Alhassan

Midfielder

27

Darius Olaru

Midfielder

86'

31

Juri Cisotti

Midfielder

46'

16

Mihai Lixandru

Midfielder

11

David Miculescu

Attacker

93

Mamadou Thiam

Attacker

64'

1

Lukasz Skorupski

Goalkeeper

22

Charalampos Lykogiannis

Defender

26

Jhon Lucumí

Defender

20

Nadir Zortea

Defender

67'

14

Torbjørn Heggem

Defender

46'

11

Jonathan Rowe

Midfielder

46'

6

Nikola Moro

Midfielder

77'

8

Remo Freuler

Midfielder

21

Jens Odgaard

Attacker

7

Riccardo Orsolini

Attacker

85'

24

Thijs Dallinga

Attacker

Substitutes

38

Lukas Zima

Goalkeeper

7

Denis Alibec

Attacker

12

David Kiki

Defender

34

Mihai Udrea

Goalkeeper

4

Daniel Graovac

Defender

10

Florin Tanase

Midfielder

46'

9

Daniel Birligea

Attacker

46'

37

Octavian Popescu

Attacker

64'

20

Dennis Politic

Midfielder

86'

4

Tommaso Pobega

Midfielder

16

Nicolò Casale

Defender

13

Federico Ravaglia

Goalkeeper

33

Juan Miranda

Defender

80

Giovanni Fabbian

Midfielder

9

Santiago Castro

Attacker

25

Massimo Pessina

Goalkeeper

28

Nicolò Cambiaghi

Attacker

46'

41

Martin Vitik

Defender

46'

2

Emil Holm

Defender

67'

19

Lewis Ferguson

Midfielder

77'

10

Federico Bernardeschi

Attacker

85'

Daniel Niccolini will be in charge of Bologna for Thursday evening’s Europa League tie away against FCSB, formerly known as Steaua Bucuresti, as the Rossoblu go in search of their first win in the competition.

The biggest absence from the travelling Bologna party is head coach Vincenzo Italiano, who was hospitalised with pneumonia earlier this week, has not yet been discharged and is also expected to miss the Serie A match against Fiorentina at the weekend. Assistant Niccolini will therefore lead Bologna into the National Arena in Bucharest. 

Bologna drew 1-1 with SC Freiburg last time out in the Europa League, which came after a 1-0 defeat away against Aston Villa in the first round of league phase fixtures. 

The Rossoblue will reportedly turn to Thijs Dallinga to lead the attack in Hungary on Thursday evening, with a probable supporting cast of Riccardo Orsolini, Jens Odgaard and Jonathan Rowe. 

Tonight’s game  will kick off in the early evening slot at 17.45 BST. 

FCBS vs. Bologna: Probable line-ups 

FCSB (4-2-3-1): Tarnovanu; Cercel, Ngezana, Alhassan, Radunovic; Șut, Tanase; Cisotti, Olaru, Popescu; Birligea.

Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Zortea, Lucumi, Vitik, Lykogiannis; Moro, Freuler; Orsolini, Odgaard, Rowe; Dallinga.

Where to watch FCSB vs. Bologna

Tonight’s game will be available to watch live in the UK on TNT Sports 9 and online through Discovery+. Supporters in the USA are able to tune in via Paramount+. 

Join us for all the pre-match build-up, in-game coverage and post-match reactions on the Football Italia Liveblog. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport 

Juve without a safety net 

Champions League: Beaten 1-0 by Real 

Bellingham scores at the Bernabeu but the Bianconeri pay for errors in front of goal by Vlahovic and Openda. Tudor: ‘We’re lacking leaders’ 

Atalanta: Kristovic doesn’t make the big time, another draw

Slavia hold on in Bergamo (0-0)

Napoli: De Bruyne case

The Belgian under the spotlight: losing the balance with him

Meeting between Conte and the squad. Hojlund tries 

Inter: Lautaro is a king 

Has scored 11 Champions League goals in 2025 Only Kane from Bayern has those numbers

Bologna: Orsolini anti Steaua, Gasp with Dybala for Viktoria 

Fiorentina take on Rapid in the Conference League (17.45)

Corriere dello Sport 

Juve live

Real get the better of Juve 

Vlahovic wastes won and Bellingham doesn’t forgive 

Champions League: Made Xabi Alonso suffer, but lost 1-0. Courtois decisive

Regrets at the Bernabeu for Tudor. Openda also misses for the equaliser. Alarm in the standings: The squad is 25th after three games, they would be out if it ended today. Atalanta, only 0-0 against Slavia Prague

The Napoli flop: Conte’s explanations 

The coach asks for less selfishness after the six goals from PSV 

Inter enjoying the Chivu code 

Excitement and applause in Belgium as well: 27 goals in 10 games and nine different goalscorers

Roma, it’s Dovbyk. Bologna with Rowe, Viola look to Dzeko 

Europa and Conference League: Three Italians in action tonight 

Tuttosport 

Juve things

Bellingham strikes, but Tudor’s squad scares Real 

A different squad was seen in Madrid compared to Como: The reaction was there. Vlahovic and Openda miss massive chances at 0-0 and 1-0, and the Bernabeu shuddered until the end (fino alla fine). Di Gregorio prodigious against Mbappe and Brahim. The goalkeeper: ‘Fantastic attitude, this is the base to start again’. The coach: ‘A shame, we deserved a draw. We need to have confidence’

Toro boom: Big crowd against Genoa 

The Napoli effect

Over 20,000 tickets sold. Open training: Ovations for Simeone and Baroni. But, Nkounkou injured and Pederson concerns

Bologna head coach Vincenzo Italiano has been hospitalised with pneumonia and is expected to miss his side’s next two matches in the Europa League and Serie A as a result according to Tuesday’s reports. 

Italiano hospitalised for five days with pneumonia

The club have confirmed that Italiano has been admitted to hospital at the Sant’Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic in Bologna, and is expected to stay there for five days as he receives treatment for pneumonia. 

According to Sky Sport Italia, Italiano’s condition is already ‘slowly improving’, but he will not be able to take part in Thursday’s Europa League clash against FCSB (formerly known as Steaua Bucuresti), or the Serie A match against Fiorentina on Sunday. 

“Yesterday, Vincenzo Italiano was hospitalised at the the pulmonology department at Sant’Orsola-Malpighi Polyclinic due to pneumonia, likely caused by bacteria (not due to Covid). 

“The coach will stay in hospital for about five days. His clinical situation is slowly improving. Updates will follow in the coming days.

“The best wishes from the whole club go to Vincenzo, hoping for a speedy recovery.”

It is expected that Italiano’s assistant, Daniel Niccolini, will deputise in the head coach’s absence.

Bologna currently sit in fifth place in the Serie A table after seven matches, having most recently beaten Cagliari 2-0 at the Unipol Domus on Sunday. The Rossoblu are currently undefeated over their last four league fixtures.