Bologna’s Champions League debut at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara ended in a goalless draw against Shakhtar Donetsk. Despite a challenging start that saw Shakhtar awarded an early penalty, Bologna managed to secure a point in their first match of the Champions League League Phase.
Manager Vincenzo Italiano shared his thoughts on the team’s performance and the result in the post-match interview:
“We had opportunities, and I believe we played our game in this Champions League debut. We could have controlled it, and we did. We need to grow and improve in the final third. The players are disappointed because we could have won the match. However, the performance remains positive.”
Discussing tactics, Italiano explained: “We used crosses from the wingers and shots from the midfielders. We create opportunities, but we need to be more clinical. At home, we have a different spirit, but we must also improve away from the Dall’Ara.”
Regarding Fabbian’s missed opportunity in front of goal, the manager commented: “We created an identical situation in Naples with Castro, which wasn’t capitalized on. Against these teams and with this level of difficulty, you can’t always create clear-cut chances. It wasn’t easy, but Skorupski did well to keep us in the game.”
Italiano also touched on other aspects of the match: “They [Shakhtar] pass the ball a lot near their goal, so stealing the ball there could have created advantageous situations for us. We knew we were working in one-on-one situations, but the players did well. They need to have more confidence because in some matches, with more courage, you can win.”