Italian Serie A: Bologna 0-0 vs. Inter Milan - Full Time Report
Inter Milan were scheduled to take on Bologna in what was the last game of the weekend fixtures of matches in the Italian Serie A. Inter Milan came into the match on the back of a very disappointing loss to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, and were sure to be looking to even things out in this game.
On the other hand, Bologna were a relatively newer team in the top flight of Italian football, and were looking to prove a point against the reigning champions.
Two changes were made by Rafa Benitez to the Inter Milan side that lost to Atletico Madrid; those changes were Stankovic making way for Pandev and Mariga replacing the injured Maicon.
The line-ups for tonight’s game were as follows:
BOLOGNA: Viviano, Esposito, Portanova, Britos, Rubin, Mudingayi, Ekdal, Casarini, Garics, Gimenez, Di Vaio.
INTER: Julio Cesar, Zanetti, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu, Mariga, Cambiasso, Pandev, Sneijder, Eto'o, Milito
Going into the game, the obvious favourites were Inter Milan; however, the home team wasn't one to be counted out, since over the past they have shown that they are capable of pulling upsets.
The first half was dominated by the visiting team, Inter Milan. However, it was home team that had more goal-scoring opportunities in that half. Inter had a few chances of their own, their best being a twenty yard free kick by Wesley Sneijder that was unable to dip under the cross bar in time.
At the half-time break, the scores were level at nil all.
Both the managers obviously had a lot to talk to their teams about during the half-time break.
The second half got underway with Inter coming out on top of the home team. Six minutes into the restart, the away team had the first goal-scoring chance, as Pandev headed a perfectly executed pass by Milito straight at Viviano.
Soon after, it looked like Inter Milan were finally getting into their stride. Eto’o saw a twenty yard drive go just wide of the far post, and then two minutes later, Sneijder unleashed a shot that was parried into the path of Lucio, whose shot was blocked and sent behind for a corner.
After that early pressure by Inter, neither of the teams looked like they were going to be creating any real threatening chances.
Bologna then made one of the craziest substitutions ever seen: Gimenez, who was the brightest player for the home side, was brought off and Riccardo Meggiorini was brought on instead.
Inter, however, grew on their frustrations as neither team looked to capitalize on their chances and no final product was being delivered in front of the goals.
In the seventy-fifth minute Eto’o went as close as to hitting the underside of the bar; a cross by Coutinho was met by Eto’o. At first it looked like the ball had directly hit the post, but replays showed that Viviano actually got his fingertips to the ball and caused it to come off the post. This save is easily going to be in contention for being one of the saves of the season.
With the match heading into the final ten minutes, Inter didn't know how to get past the opposing defence. Biabiany was brought on for Milito to try and create a chance out of something in the dying few minutes.
In the eighty-ninth minute, Viviano was there to save the day again for Bologna; Viviano spilt Sneijder's long range shot, but did brilliantly to deny Cambiasso, who was running in to tap in. Viviano was down after getting a boot in the face.
Six minutes of injury time were all that were left for both teams to try to get the maximum three points out of the game.
There was more drama in the game in the fourth minute of extra time: Sneijder took a free kick which took a wicked deflection, but missed the goal post by a few inches.
However, that was as close as Inter got, as the match finally concluded with the score-line reading nil all. This was not the start Rafa Benitez would have hoped for.
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