Bologna were given an early scare when Vangelis Pavlidis thought he had scored in the second minute, delicately chipping the goalkeeper after a through ball from Di Maria. However, the goal was ruled out for offside.
Thiijs Dallinga was next to threaten, making a promising run but ultimately failing to finish after attempting to round the goalkeeper. Anatolii Trubin was quick off his line and managed to get a hand to the ball, denying the striker.
Bologna enjoyed more possession in the first half but struggled to create clear-cut chances. Instead, it was their defense that had to step up, with Nicolò Casale making a crucial block to stop a Di Maria counter-attack. At the other end, Lukasz Skorupski was tested by a powerful volley from Di Maria after a pull-back from the by-line, forcing the goalkeeper to parry the shot away.
After the break, Dallinga was played through once again by a well-weighted Stefan Posch ball over the top, but his shot at the near post was saved by Trubin. Skorupski, though, had his own shaky moment when he flapped at a cross from the right, but he redeemed himself with an incredible reaction save, denying Pavlidis’ follow-up from point-blank range.
The match grew increasingly tense, with Bologna furious that Orkun Kökçü avoided a second yellow card for a challenge on Dan Ndoye, catching the back of his ankle. As the game intensified, Bologna’s defense held firm.
Lewis Ferguson made a crucial block with his chest to stop another Di Maria effort, and Skorupski came to the rescue once more, pulling off a fantastic save to deny Amdouni and preserve the clean sheet. The 0-0 draw ensured Bologna earned a second point in their Champions League campaign, though it was clear they had missed a few chances to grab all three.
