Bologna hand Roma another defeat to put boss Juric on the brink
After a turbulent week off the pitch, Roma would’ve been hoping for a calm afternoon at the Olimpico.
That didn’t prove to be the case in the first half though with Bologna breaking the deadlock midway through the opening period when Santiago Castro bundled home from inside the six-yard box. The hosts failed to clear their lines from a corner kick, with Castro on hand to take advantage of the lazy defending.
Roma did come close themselves with Stephan El Shaarawy and Gianluca Mancini both spurning opportunities, but Bologna’s backline stood firm to deny the capital club.
In need of a bit of luck, Roma’s reprieve would arrive just after the hour mark when a poor piece of goalkeeping from ex-Giallorossi goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski, who palmed an El Shaarawy header into the back of the net.
But when it rains, it pours, and even though it was a sunshine-filled afternoon in Rome, it didn’t take long for the cloud hanging over the Olimpico to return.
Criminal defending once again cost the home side, as Riccardo Orsolini was afforded far too much time and space in behind, with the attacker’s deflected strike getting the better of Mile Svilar.
The game was taken away from Roma’s grasp 10 minutes later when Jesper Karlsson became the latest Bologna attacker to go unnoticed in the final third and slot home a tidy finish.
El Shaarawy, who proved the only standout for Roma, would snatch a second late on to help set up a grandstand finish, but in keeping with the overall performance, Roma lacked the quality necessary to force a draw.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Santiago Castro (Bologna)
