Bologna claimed a vital 3-1 win over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, with standout performances from Oussama El Azzouzi and Alexis Saelemaekers.
The clash was crucial for both teams, as they battled for fourth place in Serie A, with just four points separating them.
Roma, missing key players like Romelu Lukaku and Sardar Azmoun, fielded Tammy Abraham in his first start since June.
On the other hand, Bologna welcomed back Alexis Saelemaekers who just finished serving a suspension.
El Azzouzi broke the jinx for Bologna with a remarkable bicycle kick, leaving Roma trailing early in the game.
Roma tried to force themselves back in the game, but the equalizer didn’t come, including a rocket strike from Stephan El Shaarawy.
Instead, Bologna extended their lead through Joshua Zirkzee’s goal.
The hosts continued to push forward, with Lorenzo Pellegrini and Azmoun testing Bologna’s defense with no luck.
However, they succeeded to pull one back around 11 minutes into the second half, courtesy of a goal by Sardar Azmoun, bringing the match to 2-1.
Not long after, Bologna asserted their dominance again, with Saelemaekers’ lob over the goalkeeper.
Despite late attempts from Roma to claw back into the game, including a disallowed goal, Bologna held strong to take all three points.
They are now seven points ahead of Danielle De Rossi’s Roma in the top four battle.
