Bologna staged an extraordinary turnaround to secure a 2-1 victory, marking their first-ever UEFA Champions League win and delivering a significant blow to Borussia Dortmund’s aspirations of reaching the top eight in the league phase.
After enduring three straight Bundesliga losses, Borussia Dortmund, under mounting pressure, showed signs of revival as they dominated the early stages at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.
Head coach Nuri Şahin looked to be enjoying some relief as his team carried their UCL form onto Italian soil.
Polish goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski was called into action early, producing a fine save to deny Pascal Groß’s free-kick.
However, the veteran shot-stopper was unable to prevent the opener when referee Serdar Gözübüyük awarded Dortmund a penalty in the 12th minute.
Emil Holm’s foul on Waldemar Anton resulted in Serhou Guirassy stepping up to take the spot-kick.
His audacious panenka nearly backfired, but despite diving the right way, Skorupski couldn’t make sufficient contact to deny the Guinea international.
Bologna’s presence in the UCL has been a bittersweet journey, marked by excitement but tempered by the challenges of competing at Europe’s elite level.
Yet, the home side refused to be deterred after conceding early and pushed forward in search of their second goal in this year’s tournament.
Riccardo Orsolini, Bologna’s attacking maestro, was at the heart of their efforts. Julien Duranville made a crucial defensive intervention to block one of Orsolini’s dangerous crosses, and the Italian forward forced a superb save from Gregor Kobel with a thunderous volley.
Unfortunately, Orsolini’s evening was cut short due to an injury 10 minutes before halftime, dealing a blow to Bologna’s hopes.
Despite the setback, Bologna maintained their intensity after the break. Although they struggled to trouble Kobel for long stretches, their relentless energy eventually shattered Dortmund’s defense in a dramatic two-minute spell.
First, Thijs Dallinga capitalized on a precise Jens Odgaard cross to fire home from close range.
Moments later, substitute Samuel Iling-Junior pounced on a rebound after Kobel parried Odgaard’s effort, netting the decisive goal and securing a landmark victory for Bologna.
The stunned visitors showed little sign of a response, and Bologna comfortably saw out the final 10 minutes to celebrate a historic night.
The win keeps their faint hopes of progressing alive, while Dortmund’s woes continued with a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions, leaving Şahin under increasing pressure despite a promising start to the evening.
