In a tense and tightly contested match, Inter looked poised to grind out a draw and maintain their narrow advantage at the top of the table. But in the dying moments, a long throw-in was flicked on by Inter defender Yann Bisseck, falling perfectly for Orsolini, who improvised brilliantly with a left-footed acrobatic volley. The goal sent the Bologna fans into raptures and left Inter coach Simone Inzaghi ruing a golden opportunity missed.
“It hurts conceding a goal like that seconds from the end,” Inzaghi admitted after the match. “But the season doesn’t end here in Bologna. We still have a lot of goals to chase and now we’ll bounce back.”
The defeat revives painful memories for Inter fans. Three years ago, a late blunder by backup goalkeeper Ionut Radu handed Bologna a crucial win that helped swing the title to rivals AC Milan. A season later, a rain-drenched loss at the same venue compounded Inter’s woes. Even last season’s win in Bologna came at a cost, as the energy spent led to a Champions League elimination days later.
This time, the consequences are again significant. Inter, who are chasing a historic treble, are now level on points with second-placed Napoli, coached by former Inter boss Antonio Conte. Unlike Inter, Napoli are out of other competitions and can focus solely on the Scudetto chase. Their 1-0 win over bottom-side Monza on Saturday heaped pressure on the Nerazzurri ahead of their clash in Bologna.
Bologna’s win also propelled them into fourth place, a point ahead of Juventus, who play Parma on Monday. With five rounds remaining, Bologna are now firmly in the hunt for a Champions League spot and could yet meet Inter again in the Coppa Italia final — after defeating Empoli 3-0 in their semifinal first leg.
The coming weeks present a daunting schedule for Inzaghi’s side. Inter face AC Milan in the second leg of the Italian Cup semifinals on Wednesday (first leg ended 1-1), host Roma next weekend in Serie A, and then travel to face Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals.
Should Inter and Napoli finish level on points, Serie A’s new rules mandate a one-off title playoff — a high-stakes finale that would mark a first for Italian football in decades.
Elsewhere in Serie A
Atalanta maintained their grip on third place with a 1-0 win over AC Milan. Ederson’s second-half header on the counter was enough to secure all three points. Milan slipped to ninth, now six points adrift of sixth-placed Roma and the final European qualification spot.
In the relegation battle, Empoli and Venezia played to a 2-2 draw, leaving both clubs still entrenched in the danger zone as the fight for survival intensifies.