Next up for Liverpool in the Champions League are Bologna, who were left frustrated again on Wednesday as their opening fixture ended in another draw.
Bologna are back in European competition for the first time since 2002, with this the Italian side’s first season in the top-tier tournament since 1964 in the European Cup.
Their Champions League debut came at home to Shakhtar Donetsk, and it ended in another disappointing result for winless manager Vincenzo Italiano.
Having begun the Serie A campaign with three draws and a loss – sitting 17th in the table after four games – Bologna will have been hoping for a more positive start in Europe.
Italiano has been without captain Lewis Ferguson (ACL), forward Nicolo Cambiaghi (ACL) and midfielder Oussama El Azzouzi (knee) due to serious injury, which remained the case in midweek.
Shakhtar were given a big opportunity to take the lead after just four minutes when Stefan Posch brought down Equinaldo in the box.
But goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski denied Georgiy Sudakov – a player Liverpool were claimed to hold a “keen interest” in – from the spot to avoid an embarrassing start.
Bologna dominated for much of the game, with 17 shots to Shakhtar’s four per FotMob, but were unable to hit the killing blow.
The tie ended in a 0-0 draw, extending Italiano’s winless run to five games having swapped Fiorentina for Bologna over the summer.
“We had chances, we played the game we wanted to in this Champions League debut,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia after the game.
“Skorupski did really well on that penalty, otherwise the game would’ve changed completely. I thank the lads for a good performance.
Thank you for your support, rain or shine ???#UCL #WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/Q00XM6bsZO
— Bologna FC 1909 (@BolognaFC1909en) September 18, 2024
“We’ve got to grow and improve in the final third, we’ve also got to make more of set play situations.
“The lads do have some regrets, because it is a game where we could’ve taken home all three points.”
Bologna visit Anfield next in the Champions League on October 2, but before then they will play Monza and Atalanta in Serie A, looking for their first win.
Ferguson, Cambiaghi and El Azzouzi will all miss the trip to Liverpool, while three familiar faces from the squad that secured Champions League football last season, Riccardio Calafiori, Joshua Zirkzee and Marko Arnautovic, have since left the club.
Aston Villa loanee Samuel Iling-Junior and former Nottingham Forest midfielder Remo Freuler are among the more recognisable names in Italiano’s group, while new signing Thijs Dallinga faced the Reds last year with Toulouse.
