The “fatal Bologna” strikes again. TheInter esce defeat from the very delicate clash at the Dall'Ara and makes the connection official Naples: Inzaghi and Conte are paired at share 71 points, which makes the next five days more exciting than ever. But Easter Serie A he left behind very important results also in terms of the Champions League, with the victories of Atalanta and, precisely, Bologna: Gasperini and Italiano smile and send the ball to Juventus e Lazio, engaged today against Parma (20.45 pm) e Genoa (18), with the absolute obligation to gain the 3 points, under penalty of seriously risking compromising the objective.
Bologna – Inter 1-0: Inzaghi falls in the 94th minute and is reached by Conte, Italiano in the Champions zone
Bologna returns to torment Simone Inzaghi and the fans ofInter like a bad déjà-vu. Just like in 2022, when a sensational blunder by Radu had condemned the Nerazzurri in the midst of the Scudetto race, this time it was a simple throw-in that perhaps rewrote destiny. Bologna struck in the heart of the recovery, having a overturned from the cinema library Ursu that froze Inter and made the Dall'Ara explode. A heavy defeat, which rekindled the Champions League ambitions of the rossoblù (now fourth in the standings awaiting Juventus' response) and allowed Napoli to catch up with Inter at the top with five games to go. It is no coincidence that the away match in Bologna, historically tricky, had been circled in red as a key juncture in the race for the Scudetto. Inzaghi's team arrived at the Dall'Ara with heavy legs, after the exhausting return leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Bayern. And with the Coppa Italia semi-final on the horizon (a derby to boot), the Nerazzurri coach had to manage forces and risks. The result was a dull team, less aggressive, far from the usual hammering rhythms.
Bologna, on the other hand, immediately put the turbo on. They pressed high, showed personality and dominated in terms of intensity, at least until halfway through the second half, when their energy levels began to wane. The result was a tense match, full of tension and attention to detail, but lacking in real opportunities. Inter only came close to scoring on two corners in the first half, with Carlos Augusto e Sticks close to the target. The rossoblù instead created a sensational chance in the 28th minute: ndoye he jumped Acerbi with ease and served Dallinga, but the Dutchman saw his shot deflected for a corner by Pavard, Summer already beaten. In the second half, tactics took over: fouls, interruptions, broken rhythm. The show suffered. And so, to break the balance, a casual but deadly flash was needed. In full recovery, a ball deflected by Bisseck Orsolini was the trigger, and he came up with an unstoppable overhead kick. A sensational goal, a waving shirt, and a big party for Bologna (in the Champions League zone, although waiting for Parma-Juventus) and Napoli, back on top, this time without asterisks. With five games to go, the Scudetto is back in the balance, with a dramatic turn of events signed, once again, by the “fatal Bologna”.
Inzaghi: “Our championship does not end here, let's move forward with confidence”
“It is too early to analyse now, there is nervousness – he underlined Inzaghi -. We should have defended better and not let Orsolini get the ball. I can't say anything to the lads for the first 93 minutes, the fact that the throw-in was taken 12 metres further forward shouldn't be an excuse. We have some players out, the two cautioned players (Bastoni and Mkhitaryan, ed.) were cautioned and won't be there against Roma. There will be an important semi-final on Wednesday, now we will calmly analyse what happened today, but the championship doesn't end here in Bologna, let's move forward with confidence. There was the episode of the throw-in, the lads were nervous because the ball went out in my technical area and was taken almost into Bologna's. It can't be taken twelve metres forward, but we should have defended better when we had numerical superiority in the area. We lost a very important match, which we didn't deserve to lose. The race for the championship? We are level on points, the calendar has a relative importance because in Italy you find organised opponents in every match. It won't be easy for us or for Napoli, we will play with a lot of confidence analyzing what we could have done better, without looking for excuses".
Niccolini, vice-Italian: “Great match and fantastic final, we want Europe”
“It was a fantastic finale,” he exulted. Niccolini, who showed up at the press conference in place of Italiano (sent off, ed.) -. We played against one of the strongest teams in the world, we are happy because this is an important victory that gives us strength for the next matches. We believed in it until the end, on two occasions we could have done even better. Orsolini? He is a champion, only he could have scored this goal here. When we don't have possession we play a demanding game, the forwards are the first to press and so we have to change even during the match. We are lucky to have wingers of a great class, they are giving us a lot. The race for the championship? I don't feel like betting on it, but I think they are both very strong teams and that they will fight for it until the last day. Our objective? I think we have to think game by game. The objective is Europe, then at the end of the championship we will see what it will be”.
Milan – Atalanta 0-1: Gasperini secures third place with Ederson, the Devils only have the Coppa Italia left
The Atalanta secures third place, Milan only the one remains Coppa Italia. The 0-1 at San Siro confirms the good moment of the Goddess, definitively out of the crisis thanks to the 6 points with Bologna and Milan, but also the farewell to the European ambitions of the Devil, at least through the championship: Conceiçao will still have the derby on Wednesday to give meaning to the season, otherwise disastrous beyond imagination. The Portuguese coach has found Maignan again after the scare in Udine and has relied once again on Jovic, supported by Pulisic e Lion in the confirmed 3-4-3. On the other hand, Gasperini had to deal with the defeat of Kolasinac, moving Bellanova back into defense and launching Square full-back on the right. He created the first real chance Ederson in the 20th minute: the header on a cross from Bellanova was perfect, but the aim was less so, with the ball just missing the post.
Milan tried to react on the left lane, where Lion e According to the they have lit some flashes: the Portuguese throws for the French, a courageous exit by Carnesecchi which stopped everything (even if the referee later signalled offside). Retegui tried without luck, Leao struggled to find space against a Bellanova in a night of grace, good at containing him even at the 30th minute in an open field duel that seemed to be clear for the Rossoneri ace. Milan however raised the revs at the end of the first half and came close to advantage with Jovic: great feint with his back to the goal to free himself and shoot with a sure shot, but the ball went out by a hair's breadth, making the whole of San Siro shout goal.
In the second half, Milan grew and took over the field, while Atalanta began to retreat. Conceiçao orchestrated a reasoned possession of the ball, trying to flush out the Orobic team. And just when the Goddess seemed to be on the ropes, Gasperini he freed Bellanova from defensive duties and the move paid off immediately, allowing Atalanta to take the lead. Choral action, Lookman he narrowed from the left and served Bellanova, a perfect pass for Ederson who dived and scored behind him maignan (62'). A cold slap for Milan, right at their best moment. The Goddess also came close to doubling the lead with Lookman, but maignan he said no. Conceiçao responded with an offensive quintet: Abraham, Joao Felix, Sottil, Chukwueze e Gimenez, for a Milan version of 4-2-4 with front-wheel drive. The risk, however, was to go too far, and in fact in the 90th minute Lookman ran away on the counterattack, but once again Maignan saved everything. An aggressive final for the Rossoneri, but nothing doing: the equaliser did not arrive. A very heavy defeat in terms of Europe, with the Milan now six points away area Conference League with five days left to go. Atalanta, on the other hand, responded to Bologna, securing a very precious third place.
Conceiçao: “My future is to prepare for the derby, but there is no respect towards me”
“The first half was balanced even if we were lower than expected, but Atalanta did not create any real chances – the thought of Conceiçao -. We started the second half well, but the first time they shot at us they scored, in a way we had also talked about. Distracted? The most important match is the one we are playing, but it is true that we lacked a bit of aggression in the final. My future? It is to prepare for the match with Inter and try to win the Coppa Italia. I don't know how many years it has been since we won two titles here. After the Super Cup, people started talking about who will arrive at Milan: that's fine with me, but there is no respect if we always talk only about the next Milan coach”.
Gasperini: “Scudetto regrets? Let’s not joke, the Champions League would be a great result”
“This is an incredible season, it would be extraordinary to return to the Champions League, we are all focused because we know how important it would be for Bergamo – he exulted Gasperini -. Bologna's victory could have been dangerous in terms of the standings, instead this success of ours is a turning point. Regrets for having dropped out of the race for the Scudetto? Let's not joke! We have 64 points, I once said that we were playing for the title to give more impetus to the team, but someone took me seriously... Thinking of playing to win the championship was exaggerated, the Champions League is already a great result, given how many and what kind of teams we have behind us".
Parma – Juventus (20.45pm, Dazn)
Minus six. For the Juventus the next 38 days will be decisive, given that the fate of many Bianconeri depends on the qualification for the next Champions League. Tudor has started the journey in the best possible way, collecting seven points in the first three games of the new management: two victories against Genoa and Lecce and a draw in the direct clash with Roma. Now they arrive Parma e Monza and many, at Juve, think the time has come for the definitive turning point. It is precisely the matches against the teams on the right side of the table, in fact, that have brought the full loot: important points, arrived at a crucial moment and against opponents who are in full swing for their objectives such as Genoa and Lecce. Matches that were anything but simple, also because the Old Lady was coming from a double collapse with Atalanta and Fiorentina, which had effectively sanctioned the farewell to Thiago Motta and opened the doors to the revolution on the bench.
A season marked by too many empty passages, often against teams that were on paper approachable. Performances and results that distanced Juve from its main objectives and wore down, week after week, Thiago's position. The Scudetto train also faded away due to the "drawitis" that slowed down the path, especially in the first half of the season: many points left on the road, too many comebacks suffered, wasted opportunities that dug a furrow with the top. Just look at some episodes: the 0-0 at Empoli, the 1-1 at home with the Cagliari, the 2-2 with Parma, the last-second equaliser with the Lecce and the hard-fought 2-2 with the Venice, at the time bottom of the table. And again, the heavy defeat in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia, again against Empoli, which cancelled out the possibility of defending the trophy won last year. Now, however, there seems to have been a turning point. The victories with Genoa e Lecce have put Juventus back on track, and the solid draw at the Olimpico confirmed positive signs. The focus is now on the next two rounds: Parma and Monza at the Stadium are appointments not to be missed, to continue the race and arrive at the double direct clash with Bologna and Lazio (scheduled for early May) in an advantageous position. The final includes Udinese and Venezia: two junctions not to be underestimated, but on paper manageable. Champions race does not allow pauses. Winning, now more than ever, is really the only thing that matters.
Tudor: “Beware Parma, they didn’t stop Inter by chance. Me, ferryman? What an ugly word…”
“I don't expect any step, but a difficult race to face as we have prepared it – the thought of Tudor -. It's not a given that they will wait and counterattack. With Inter they pushed and took the 2-2, they didn't equalize by chance, they deservedly took it. We are preparing with 15 players to not make any mistakes. The future? Ferryman is an ugly word, I've been in Italy for 10-15 years and seeing words like that doesn't give me a good feeling. When you arrive you train and you are a coach, life can change in 3-4 games even if you have a contract. The coach is always alone and lives day by day, game by game. Without planning and a future, the future is built today. I live like this, you take lessons from the past, the future gives you nothing but anxiety. You have to prepare well because when you play like this you go at a thousand. This is the important thing, the rest counts for nothing”.
Parma – Juventus, probable formations
Parma (3-5-2): Suzuki; Leoni, Valenti, Vogliacco; Delprato, Sohm, Bernabe, Keita, Valeri; Pellegrino, Bonny
In bench: Corvi, Marcone, Lovik, Balogh, Circati, Man, Trabucchi, Hainaut, Camara, Haj, Estevez, Hernani, Ondrjeka, Djuric, Almqvist
Coach: Chivu
Unavailable: Charpentier, Kowalski, Osorio, Benedyczak, Mihaila, Cancellieri
Disqualified: Nobody
Juventus (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Veiga, Kelly; McKennie, Locatelli, Thuram, Cambiaso; Nico Gonzalez, Kolo Muani; Vlahovic
In bench: Perin, Pinsoglio, Costa, Rouhi, Savona, Conceicao, Adzic, Weah, Douglas Luiz, Yildiz
Coach: Tudor
Unavailable: Milik, Bremer, Cabal, Gatti, Mbangula, Koopmeiners
Disqualified: Nobody
Genoa – Lazio (18pm, Dazn)
Getting back up after the beating. After elimination from the Europa League, Lazio only the championship remains to give meaning to the season and take stock of Baroni's work. Despite the contract expiring in 2026, the Tuscan coach's future on the Biancoceleste bench is far from certain. The club demands European qualification, an essential condition to remain connected to an international dimension and plan a market that lives up to its ambitions. Staying out of the cups would force the club to review everything, starting with the technical guide, chosen last summer to kick off a new three-year cycle. And to think that the start of the season it had been more than promising: in December Lazio was third in the standings together with Inter, one point behind Napoli and two behind the leaders Atalanta. In Europe had secured first place in the group, beating Ajax in Amsterdam, while in Cup Italy had eliminated Napoli, then defeated also in the championship at the Maradona. All this with a team profoundly renewed after the summer farewells of Immobile, Luis Alberto and Felipe Anderson. A Lazio that seemed to have found momentum, energy and identity. Then, however, something cracked. The serious injuries (on all those of Castilians e Tavares) have influenced the path, exposing the structural limits of the team. The January market brought grafts (Belahyane e Provision) who however remained on the sidelines, used sparingly. The European showcase was fundamental to give prestige to the season and build a credible project, but on Thursday night everything fell apart in the cruelest way. Now only the championship, where Lazio is still in the running for a place in Champions: fourth place, occupied by Bologna, is four points away, but at the same time there is the risk of being left out of all the cups. The calendar does not help, given that after Genoa there will be Parma at the Olimpico, the away match Empoli, the big home match with the Juventus, the Inter at San Siro and the closing with Lecce within the friendly walls. Traps and direct clashes: Lazio's destiny will all depend on this.
Genoa – Lazio, the probable lineups
Genoa (4-2-3-1): Leali; Sabelli, De Winter, Vasquez, Martin; Frendrup, Masini; Zanoli, Miretti, Vitinha; Pinamonti
In bench: Siegrist, Sommariva, Norton-Cuffy, Ekhator, Kassa, Matturro, Badelj, Onana, Venturino, Ekuban, Messias, Otoa, Thorsby
Coach: Vieira
Unavailable: Ahanor, Bani, Cornet, Cuenca, Malinovskyi
Disqualified: Nobody
Lazio (4-2-3-1): Mandas; Hysaj, Gila, Gigot, Pellegrini; Guendouzi, Rovella; Tchaouna, Pedro, Zaccagni; Dia
In bench: Provedel, Furlanetto, Marusic, Provstgaard, Noslin, Romagnoli, Dele-Bashiru, Lazzari, Vecino, Belahyane, Basic, Ibrahimovic, Castellanos
Coach: Barons
Unavailable: Patrick, Tavares
Disqualified: Isaaksen
