Football Italia Live Blog
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21:40 That’s all for the Liveblog
Bologna do not threaten Juve in third and Torino are effectively out of the running for Europe now.
21:39 Match report
Bologna were rescued by the woodwork and Lukasz Skorupski saves, but emerged with a 0-0 draw away to Torino to consolidate fourth place https://t.co/ZOoIFAjMr7 #TorinoBologna #SerieA #Calcio #SerieATIM
— Football Italia (@footballitalia) May 3, 2024
21:38 FT: Torino 0-0 Bologna
Disappointing for both teams, really.
21:34 Bologna threaten
Corner kick goes through a sea of legs, Odgaard slides in, but can only prod it into the arms of VMS. We enter 4 minutes of stoppages.
21:32 Oh dear
Bologna free kick, Moro fires it straight into the wall.
21:29 Torino sub
Lazaro on, Bellanova off.
21:29 Bologna chance
Calafiori wins back the ball, bursts down the left, cross only needs a tap-in, swept out for a corner.
21:25 Bologna subs
Zirkzee and Aebischer off, Castro and El Azzouzi on
21:24 Torino risk
Milinkovic-Savic tries playing out from the back, kicks it against Orsolini by mistake.
21:23 Torino furious
Buongiorno thinks he is fouled on the corner, but not a huge amount in that. Masina header was over from a promising position, though!
21:22 Torino sub
Pellegri replaces Sanabria.
21:21 Toro push
Duvan Zapata can’t quite get to the cross, then Linetty shot deflected for a corner by Aebischer.
21:16 Whoops
Referee crashed into Duvan Zapata, which is going to leave a mark, loses his cards and Skorupski has to give them back.
21:12 Bologna subs
Odgaard and Orsolini on, Saelemaekers and Ndoye off.
21:10 Big Skorupski save!
Huge chance for Torino to take the lead, poor clearance on a cross, Ilic seems like he has to score, but Skorupski makes a big one-handed save!
21:03 Bologna strike
Sudden Aebischer scorcher from distance, VMS has to palm it over the bar!
21:02 Bologna sub
Moro replaces Fabbian.
20:52 Zirkzee off target
Aebischer through ball to Zirkzee down the left, but fires over from a tricky angle. It was Duvan Zapata helping to block him off.
20:49 2nd half kicks off: Torino 0-0 Bologna
20:32 Half-Time: Torino 0-0 Bologna
Toro had the best chance when Sanabria’s header came off the crossbar and Duvan Zapata’s follow-up well saved by Skorupski.
20:31 Bologna attack
Defenders Lucumi and Calafiori surge forward and try to combine, important defensive interception.
20:24 Duvan Zapata effort
Long ball controlled with a great first touch by Duvan Zapata, who has the shot charged down.
20:23 Bologna close
Very long Saelemaekers free kick volleyed back in by Zirkzee, cleared to the edge of the box, where Aebischer drills just wide of the near post.
20:22 It’s a battle
As expected, tussling for every ball, but Toro with the best chances so far.
20:13 Torino sub
Vlasic hobbles off, Linetty on.
20:11 Torino problem
Nikola Vlasic has gone down touching his groin/adductor, that does not look good.
20:02 Incredible double Torino chance!!!
How?!? Sanabria header thumps the crossbar on the Ilic cross, then Skorupski incredible reaction save on the Duvan Zapata rebound!
20:00 Toro pushing
Crosses into the box, but Lucumi gets there before Duvan Zapata, then Bologna counter and Zirkzee angled drive flashes well wide.
19:48 Torino chance
Cross from the left by Ilic goes just beyond Sanabria!
19:45 We have kick-off in Torino vs. Bologna!
Serie A Week 35 begins.
19:42 Out come the teams
Torino: Milinkovic-Savic; Vojvoda, Buongiorno, Masina; Bellanova, Ricci, Ilic, Rodriguez; Vlasic; Sanabria, Zapata
Bologna: Skorupski; Posch, Lucumi, Calafiori, Kristiansen; Freuler; Ndoye, Fabbian, Aebischer, Saelemaekers; Zirkzee
19:35 Thiago Motta (Bologna)
“This team has proved it always had the right attitude and spirit to face every game so far. Torino are very complicated to play against, they prepare well,” Thiago Motta told Sky Sport Italia.
“We achieved a very important target for the club and for us, to get into Europe after 22 years, now we can try to enter the Champions League and we’ll give it our best. We always have great respect for our opponents and must do our best to compete with Torino or anyone else.
“Saelemaekers made the choice to leave Milan and come to Bologna, that showed he wanted to challenge himself and he is deserving his place in the team. All his teammates are in good shape and help him to raise his performances too.”
Ivan Juric was Thiago Motta’s teammate at Genoa under Gian Piero Gasperini.
“It is always a pleasure to get compliments from someone who knows me. Aside from his quality as a coach, Juric is a fantastic person and we played together with the ideas of our coach at the time, Gasperini. We maintain those same ideas, that desire to win and battle with good football.”
19:23 Nearly there
Friday night magic pre #TorinoBologna 💫 pic.twitter.com/F7mtWDjRor
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) May 3, 2024
19:12 Special shirt
Torino are wearing a special edition jersey this evening against Bologna marking the 75th anniversary of the Superga tragedy that killed the Grande Torino team https://t.co/Z8cVgsDtES #Torino #SerieA #TorinoFC #SerieATIM #Calcio #Superga75 #TorinoBologna
— Football Italia (@footballitalia) May 3, 2024
18:44 Team news
The Rossoblu already guaranteed European qualification after 22 years, but still want to lock down that Champions League spot.
Sam Beukema and Adrien Tameze sit out bans, while the hosts have Koffi Djidji, Perr Schuurs, Saba Sazonov and Gvidas Gineitis injured.
Adama Soumaoro and Lewis Ferguson are out for the season.
18:36 Torino vs. Bologna line-ups
Torino: Milinkovic-Savic; Vojvoda, Buongiorno, Masina; Bellanova, Ricci, Ilic, Rodriguez; Vlasic; Sanabria, Zapata
Bologna: Skorupski; Posch, Lucumi, Calafiori, Kristiansen; Freuler; Ndoye, Fabbian, Aebischer, Saelemaekers; Zirkzee
Serie A Week 35 kicks off
Join us for all the action as it happens from tonight’s Serie A game, as fourth-placed Bologna try to close on Juventus and damage Torino’s European ambitions.
It kicks off at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).
The Rossoblu have qualified for Europe after a 22-year absence, but are not done yet, as they want to lock down a Champions League spot and even temporarily leapfrog Juve in third.
As for Toro, they sit in 10th position, now four points off Napoli and Fiorentina.