Vincenzo Italiano Says Bologna Simply Must Stop ‘Gifting’ Goals As Lewis Ferguson Rages Vs Celtic
The Italian side rallied back to clinch a crucial Europa League point.
A frustrated Vincenzo Italiano urged Bologna to stop ‘gifting’ cheap goals after their 2-2 draw with Celtic.
Jonathan Rowe Rescues Point For Bologna
The Serie A side saw their Europa League top-eight hopes all but ended despite their two-goal comeback in the second half, with Thijs Dallinga and Jonathan Rowe both on target.
Reo Hatate was sent off for the visitors but Bologna were unable to capitalise despite holding a man advantage for almost an hour.
Celtic had taken the lead after just six minutes, when returning goalkeeper Lukasz Skoruski’s howler gifted Hatate the opener. Auston Trusty then doubled their lead shortly before the interval.
But Bologna were able to rally back following the restart to clinch a potentially decisive point.
While Italiano is confident his side will progress to the play-offs, he rued their costly mistakes at the back.
“We cannot always start from a goal down before we react,” he told Sky Sport post-match.
“We’ve also got to be more attentive in defending on corners. After that incident, and also thanks to them being a man down, we managed to score two goals when we could’ve had four or five.
“It’s just a pity that we keep gifting goals to our opponents. Hopefully by this evening, we’ll be sure of a place in the top 24 of the Europa League table.”
Bologna are in a strong position in comparison to several of their Serie A rivals in Europe. Napoli are on the brink of elimination from the Champions League, with their chances of progressing 50/50.
Lewis Ferguson Temper Boils Over After Bologna Draw
However, captain Lewis Ferguson couldn’t hide his frustration after his torrid record against Celtic continued.
Born and bred in a Rangers-supporting family, he has now faced 17 the Hoops 17 times but is yet to record a single victory. Post-match, his temper reached boiling point.
After being substituted with the hosts chasing a winning goal, Ferguson took part in the usual post-match loop around the pitch to applaud the supporters. He was then spotted exchanging words with Dallinga.
Despite his team-mate appearing to whisper to his captain, the Scotland international animatedly continued to press home his point.
His frustration certainly stemmed from a mixed day at the office, for both his club and himself. Ferguson was played further forward in a tweak to his usual position, but didn’t quite find his feet.
Ferguson is contracted until 2028 and has been crucial this season, making 24 appearances to date.
“Just a lack of quality”
Lewis Ferguson reacts to Bologna’s 2-2 draw with Celtic…
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Dan Davis
Dan is an experienced sports journalist and part-time lecturer. An expert on Serie A and Italian football, he has produced content for the likes of the Daily Mail, Reach PLC, GiveMeSport, FourFourTwo and GRV Media. While Channel 4's iconic Football Italia was a bit before his time, the nostalgia - and pastries - fuelled his love of all things Calcio.
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