10-man Bologna rescue point as Udinese lose ground in relegation battle
Lying at the opposite ends of the league table, the stakes were high, with Bologna needing a win to overtake Juventus into third place and newly-appointed Cannavaro tasked with the responsibility of rescuing Udinese from the jaws of relegation.
The visitors showed signs of fatigue from the outset, having had just three days to prepare for the game after travelling to the capital to complete the final 18 minutes of their match against Roma. However, despite conceding possession for the majority of the half, they emerged with the lead on the verge of half time.
Pouncing on a rebound inside the area, Martin Payero - man-of-the-match in his side’s reverse 3-0 victory - coolly tapped in past a helpless Maduka Okoye to defend.
Having dropped points on just three occasions at home this league season, the Rossoblu kept at it following the restart, threatening to restore parity with the help of newly-introduced talisman Riccardo Orsolini.
However, Udinese were looking to add another high-flyer to their scalps after upsetting Juventus and Lazio, and with Sam Beukema picking up his second yellow card for a late cynical challenge past the hour mark, Thiago Motta and Co’s task only got tougher.
Bologna, though, are made of strong stuff, and Saelemaekers clinched a point for his side as he netted in back-to-back Serie A games for the first time in his career with a cheeky set-piece from the tightest of angles.
With no team conceding fewer goals than Bologna beyond the 80th minute and no team scoring fewer than Udinese after the same point, it was no surprise to see the score remain level. The result does neither side any favours in achieving their respective targets.
Winless since claiming victory over Lazio in March, Udinese remain in the bottom three, while Motta will rue his side’s inability to clinch maximum points despite extending their unbeaten streak to seven straight games.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Alexis Saelemaekers (Bologna)
