Serie A | Udinese 0-3 Bologna: Pobega inspires away triumph

Riccardo Orsolini saw his penalty saved by Maduka Okoye, but Tommaso Pobega bagged a surprising brace and Federico Bernardeschi sealed Bologna’s victory away to Udinese.

The Rossoblu were one of the form teams in Serie A, fresh from beating Napoli 2-0 and unbeaten in eight, despite an injury crisis ruling out Ciro Immobile, Emil Holm, Lukasz Skorupski, Remo Freuler, Jonathan Rowe and Nicolò Cambiaghi. The Friulani only had Thomas Kristensen left on the treatment table.

As part of the campaign on violence against women, as well as the red mark on their faces, Udinese players wore shirts with the names of their mothers, wives, sisters or daughters.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Benjamin Dominguez almost pounced on a poor back-pass in the opening minutes, then Keinan Davis turned an acrobatic volley just wide from Hassane Kamara’s cross.

Federico Ravaglia was quick off his line to smother at the feet of Jurgen Ekkelenkamp on a smart Arthur Atta cross, but Bologna received a penalty following a VAR review, as Kingsley Ehizibue stuck out his elbow to charge down the Tommaso Pobega strike inside the box.

Riccardo Orsolini stepped up, but the central effort was at a good height for the goalkeeper, so Maduka Okoye managed to make the save.

It was not Orsolini’s day, as he also tested Okoye at the near post with a cross-shot, then scored when he pounced on a Kamara error, only to be flagged offside.

Ekkelenkamp tried to curl a free kick directly into the far top corner and almost managed it on the stroke of half-time.

Atta went on a strong run to see his cross-shot charged down, but it was Bologna who broke the deadlock when Orsolini gathered a cross-field pass down the right, cut inside and rolled across for Pobega to take a touch, then sweep into the far bottom corner relatively undisturbed from 15 yards.

Okoye might’ve been the hero on the penalty, but he was the villain for the second Bologna goal, unable to deal with the high press and giving it away playing out from the back, allowing Pobega to pounce.

Bologna really should’ve been 3-0 up on 70 minutes when Nadir Zortea nutmegged Atta to roll across from the right, but Giovanni Fabbian somehow managed to scuff it wide when undisturbed from seven yards.

Dominguez also didn’t make the most of the Federico Bernardeschi assist, while Atta tested Ravaglia, but Bologna made it 3-0 with the last kick of the game. Once again, Udinese got into a tangle playing out from the back and Thijs Dallinga intercepted, his back-heel flick deflected into the path of Bernardeschi to score.

Pobega 54, 59 (B), Bernardeschi

Saved penalty: Orsolini 41 (B)