Bruges-Juventus 0-0
BRUGES (4-3-3): Mignolet 6; Sabbe 5.5 (24’st Seys 6), Ordonez 6, Mechele 6, De Cuyper 6.5; Jashari 6.5, Vanaken 6.5, Onyedika 6; Talbi 6.5 (45’st Meijer sv), Tzolis 5.5 (33′ st Vetlesen 6), Jutgla 6.5 (24′ st Nilsson 6). On the bench: Nielsen, Siquet, Spileers, Skoras, Jackers, Vermant, Romero. Coach: Hayen 6.
JUVENTUS (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio 5.5; Savona 6, Gatti 6, Kalulu 6, Cambiaso 6.5; Locatelli 7, Douglas Luiz 5.5 (30’st Thuram 6); Weah 5.5 (20’st Conceiçao 6), Koopmeiners 5.5 (31’st McKennie 6), Mbangula 7 (20’st Yildiz 5.5); Nico Gonzalez 5 (31’st Vlahovic 6). On the bench: Pinsoglio, Perin, Rouhi, Fagioli, Adzic. Coach: Thiago Motta 6.
REFEREE: Bastien (Fra) 6.
NOTES: clear and particularly cold evening, pitch in good condition. Booked: Koopmeiners, Conceiçao. Corners: 4-3 for Juventus. Recovery: 0′; 3′.
Draw and no goals for Thiago Motta’s Juventus, who emerge with one point from the trip to Bruges and don’t move their rankings much, even if they guarantee them arithmetic access to the playoffs with just one match left before the end of the first phase of the Champions League. It was a balanced match between the Bianconeri and Hayen’s team, with no chances in the first half, while something more was seen in the second half. First phase of the match with various initiatives from Bruges and a Juventus who always defend with many men, struggling to build dangerous chances in Mignolet’s area. However, the Belgian team also does not appear particularly effective in the offensive zone, with an enveloping maneuver that lacks decisive developments to involve their attackers. In fact, there were only one conclusions on each side in the entire first half, for Bruges with Jutgla, while for Juventus with Douglas Luiz, both wide and not very dangerous.
Upon returning to the field after the break, however, the first real opportunity of the match will arrive, following an error in disengagement by Di Gregorio who gives the ball to Vanaken and passing first through Tzolis, then through Jutgla, the latter is the one who kicks first, directing just outside. Chance thus shakes up the match and also Juventus, who responds a little later with Mbangula’s sprint and the service inside the area for Nico Gonzalez, who however does not arrive at the right pace to push the ball into the net. The game thus picks up pace, also due to the substitutions, which will be dangerous in Bruges thanks to the entry of Nilsson, who on a turn sends the ball high, crossed by Talbi who escaped behind Cambiaso. Motta also opts for offensive entries, such as those of Conceicao, Yildiz and Vlahovic, which increase density and initiatives for the Bianconeri in the final. In the 85th minute it was Juventus again, with Locatelli releasing a powerful right-foot shot from distance on which Mignolet had to dive, thus getting his hands on the last chance of the match.
Bologna-Borussia Dortmund 2-1
NETWORKS: 15′ pt Guirassy (penalty); 26’st Dallinga, 27’st Iling-Junior.
BOLOGNA (4-2-3-1): Skorupski 6; Holm 5.5, Beukema 6.5, Lucumì 6 (19’st Casale 6), Lykogiannis 6; Freuler 6 (1’st Odgaard 6.5), Pobega 6 (41’st Moro sv); Orsolini 6.5 (34’pt Iling-Junior 6.5), Ferguson 6.5, Ndoye 6.5; Castro 5.5 (19’st Dallinga 7). On the bench: Bagnolini, Ravaglia, Posch, Erlic, Juan Miranda, Fabbian, Urbanski. Coach: Italian 6.5.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND (4-3-3): Kobel 5.5; Gro 5.5 (30’st Yan Couto 6), Anton 6, Schlotterbeck 5.5, Ryerson 5.5; Beier 5, Nmecha 6, Reyna 5.5 (19’st Emre Can 6); Duranville 6 (19’st Adeyemi 6), Guirassy 5.5 (30’st Brandt 6), Bynoe-Gittens 5.5. On the bench: Meyer, Lotka, Sabitzer, Campbell, Watjen, Manè, Almugera Kabar, Ayman Azhil. Coach: Sahin 5.
REFEREE: Gozubuyuk (Ned) 6.
NOTES: clear evening, ground in good condition. Booked: Holm, Freuler, Lucumì, Beier, Adeyemi, Yan Couto, Ryerson, Ferguson, Italiano. Corners 6-5 for Bologna. Recovery: 2′; 5′
The first victory in the Champions League finally arrives for Bologna, who achieves a real feat in their last home match: a 2-1 comeback against Borussia Dortmund, reversing the result in a minute. The rossoblù immediately push forward, encouraged by a very hot Dall’Ara, but they don’t break through. As the minutes passed, the guests picked up the tone and it was Borussia Dortmund who came through after a quarter of an hour. On the development of a corner here is the foul by Holm (warned) on Anton, Guirassy makes no mistake from the spot and it is 1-0. The rossoblù reaction was immediate, with Ndoye inspiring Castro and saving Duranville. Ferguson and Orsolini also try, forcing Kobel to perform a miracle and having to surrender in the 34th minute: serious hamstring problem, the winger leaves in tears. The injury dampens the impetus of the Bologna team and Bologna only wakes up after the entry of Odgaard in the interval, which further raises the center of gravity. Ndoye tries a bicycle kick and, after this risk, Dortmund tries to cover with Emre Can. The yellow and blacks wasted a possible encore with Guirassy and were immediately punished: Odgaard flew to the left, ball to Dallinga and 1-1 from two steps (71′). Not even time to get back into the game, the encore arrives with the former Toulouse player once again protagonist: shot blocked by Kobel, but on the rebound Iling-Junior scores the goal that gives Bologna the lead. We are at the 72nd minute and Borussia Dortmund can’t believe it: they were in full control and conceded two goals in fifty seconds, in full reflection of BVB’s disastrous season (10th in the Bundesliga). From here on it’s authentic domination for Bologna, who also comes close to making it three with Odgaard and Ndoye, achieving their first three points in this Champions League. In the final, Borussia Dortmund resigned themselves to a defeat which, perhaps, would mark the end of Nuri Sahin’s experience as yellow and black coach. It therefore ends 2-1 and BVB loses their temporary top-8 placement, stopping at 12 points and slipping to 13th place. Bologna rises to five points and is virtually out of the Champions League: tomorrow’s match between PSG and Man City should confirm the arithmetic elimination of the rossoblù, now -3 from 24th position with a terrible goal difference.