Serie A | Napoli 0-2 Bologna: Partenopei nightmare, Rossoblu dream

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Susy Campanale | Last updated 5/11/24

Napoli never recovered from a nightmare start to this match, trailing 2-0 after 12 minutes and seeing a Matteo Politano penalty parried, but Bologna are heading to the Champions League.

The Partenopei were hoping to at least qualify for the Europa League, but had one point from the last four rounds. Piotr Zielinski and Leander Dendoncker were still out of action, with Giacomo Raspadori and Mario Rui back on the bench, while Kvicha Kvaratskhelia returned. The Rossoblu missed Lewis Ferguson and Adama Soumaoro, but had slowed recently with four draws in the last five.

See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.

Bologna broke the deadlock after a chaotic move, as Joshua Zirkzee’s shot was deflected, so was the Jens Odgaard follow-up cross, turning into an accidental assist for Dan Ndoye to nod in from point-blank range, despite being behind Giovanni Di Lorenzo. It was Ndoye’s first goal of the season and the 15^th game in a row for Napoli without a clean sheet.

A favourable deflection gives Dan Ndoye the opportunity to fire Bologna ahead in Naples

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Moments later it was 2-0, as Kacper Urbanski’s corner was flicked on by Riccardo Calafiori for Stefan Posch to score from four yards, allowed a free header by Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa.

It goes from bad to worse for Napoli as Bologna doubles their lead

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Napoli received a penalty when Victor Osimhen went down under minimal contact with Remo Freuler on a Giovanni Di Lorenzo pull-back from the by-line. Matteo Politano stepped up and saw his spot-kick parried by Federico Ravaglia. That was the fourth penalty that the Partenopei failed to convert this season.

Matteo Politano MISSES the penalty!

The first 20 minutes of this game has been pure entertainment…

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Matias Olivera nodded over from a set play and Stanislav Lobotka skimmed the crossbar, while after the break Ravaglia parried a Politano snapshot at the near bottom corner and Michael Aebischer risked an own goal with his defensive header on a free kick.

Alexis Saelemaekers had a go from distance and a Joshua Zirkzee angled drive was parried by Alex Meret’s foot, but Ravaglia made a remarkable fingertip save to deny Osimhen from the tightest of angles after a Cyril Ngonge through ball.

Zirkzee limped off practically in tears after a muscular issue in his left thigh and Napoli were unable to break the Rossoblu down.