Liverpool 2-0 Bologna Match Report & Ratings | OneFootball

By Brendan Doyle

Liverpool won their second Champions League tie of the season after a 2-0 home win against 13th-placed Serie A side Bologna with goals from Alexis MacAllister and Mohamed Salah.

The Reds got off to the first half receiving somewhat of a scare from the Italian visitors as Thijs Dalligna netted in front of the kop but the linesman raised his flag, although just two minutes later, Alexis MacAllister scored at the other end in the 11th minute after being on the right end of Mohammed Salah’s impeccable floated ball into the Bologna area.

In the 17th minute Darwin Nunez thought he had doubled Liverpool’s lead as he picked up a slick through ball from Trent Alexander Arnold and converted his effort past Lukasz Skorupski but once again for the second time in the first half the linesman put his flag up to disallow a goal.

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As the half went on Bologna gained a five minute spell of confidence towards Liverpool’s final third as Dan Ndoye’s deflected shot smashed the crossbar.

Stefan Posch couldn’t get the right connection from Riccardo Orsolini’s downward header received from a fantastically whipped-in free kick by Nikola Moro, another potential equaliser which was this time in close areas to Liverpool’s netting.

When Liverpool’s back line seemed to be out of shape, Bologna once again tried to seize the opportunity to capitalise on the situation as Dan Ndoye dispossessed Trent Alexander Arnold of the ball who then laid it off to Kacper Urbanski whose shot on goal forced Alisson to parry the ball around the post.

As Liverpool seemed to enter the first ten minutes of the second half composed and in control of possession, Bologna’s Riccardo Orsolini once again attempted a shot on goal but Alisson saved the powerfully hit shot away from the area.

Luis Diaz had the ball at his feet just on the edge of the area facing the kop and it looked as though the Colombian forward was about to strike but decided to carry the ball into the penalty area after drifting to a wider area but took a touch too many and lost possession.

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Just when Arne Slot’s side could’ve needed a second goal, the one and only Mohamed Salah stepped up as he cut in on his left-hand side after picking up a pass from Dominik Szoboszlai and smashed his shot into the top far corner of the goal at the famous kop end putting the reds 2-0 up in the 75th minute.

Bologna substitute Samuel Iling Junior tried his luck at a consolation goal as a shot in the Liverpool area was blocked by Virgil Van Dijk who then fell to the 20-year-old from North London on the half volley but his effort went straight over the bar.

The full-time result finished 2-0 as Liverpool continued their bright start in all competitions under Arne Slot’s management.

Player Ratings

XI: Alisson Becker 8, Trent Alexander Arnold 7, Ibrahima Konate 7, Virgil Van Dijk 8, Andy Robertson 7, Ryan Gravenberch 9, Dominik Szoboszlai 8, Alexis MacAllister 8, Mohamed Salah 9, Darwin Nunez 6, Luis Diaz, 7

Subs: Kostas Tsimikas 6, Curtis Jones, 6, Diogo Jota 6, Cody Gakpo 6, Conor Bradley 6