Liverpool will face Bologna in the Champions League on Wednesday night, and while Arne Slot‘s Reds are in strong form, the Italian side are stuck in mid-table.
Having been the surprise package of last season’s Serie A, a summer of high-profile sales and the departure of their influential coach has seen a drop in fortunes for Bologna.
With Riccardio Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee leaving for Arsenal and Man United respectively and Thiago Motta vacating the dugout to join Juventus, it has been a challenge so far this campaign.
That was no different on Saturday as Bologna were held to a 1-1 draw by Atalanta, having seen centre-back Jhon Lucumi sent off early in the second half.
Manager Vincenzo Italiano set his side up with only one change from their 0-0 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk to open the Champions League, with Michel Aebischer named in midfield.
It was Atalanta who had the better of the chances in the first half, though goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski was on hand to deny Ademola Lookman in a one-on-one.
Bologna then struck almost immediately after the break, with striker Santiago Castro turning brilliantly into space before bending the ball beyond Atalanta’s Marco Carnesecchi for 1-0.
Soon after, the referee awarded Atalanta a penalty as Lucumi seemed to bring Charles De Ketelaere down in the box, only for VAR to downgrade the spot-kick to a free-kick outside the area and upgrade a yellow card to a straight red for Bologna’s No. 26.
Left to fend for the majority of the second half with 10 men, Bologna took a rearguard approach, only to be beaten by a stunning effort from Lazar Samardzic with a minute left.
The 1-1 draw means Bologna have still only won once in this season’s Serie A, with four draws and a loss seeing Italiano’s side sit 12th in the table.
It comes with captain Lewis Ferguson, forward Nicolo Cambiaghi and midfielder Oussama El Azzouzi all out with serious knee injuries, while Saturday’s goalscorer Castro has picked up a knock.
“I thought he had cramp, but it was a knock to the calf muscle and so we decided to substitute him,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia after the game.
“It’s at least good that we held out to the final whistle with a point.”
On the trip to Anfield, he said: “From tomorrow we’ll see who is in good shape, who can recover and prepare for yet another battle.
“We know there are mistakes we made today that we cannot afford to make again, as Liverpool’s strikers are so efficient and we’ll be in a remarkable atmosphere of Anfield.”
Bologna XI vs. Atalanta (4-3-3): Skorupski; Posch, Beukema, Lucumi, Lykogiannis; Freuler, Aebischer (Erlic 68′), Fabbian (Urbanski 46′); Orsolini (Casale 54′), Ndoye (Holm 84′), Castro (Dallinga 68′)
Subs not used: Ravaglia, Bagnolini, Moro, Karlsson, Iling-Junior, Corazza, Odgaard, De Silvestri, Dominguez, Miranda
