Torino 1-2 Bologna – Italiano: ‘Castro has great instincts, Rowe could become a top-level player’ | OneFootball

Bologna returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory away to Torino FC, a result that could prove pivotal in reigniting their season after a difficult spell.

Head coach Vincenzo Italiano praised match-winner Santiago Castro for his decisive contribution, highlighting the striker’s natural instincts in front of goal.

“A centre-forward can sometimes operate in that area and decide matches with a great piece of skill, like he did,” Italiano told Sky Sport, via TMW.

BOLOGNA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 11: Santiago Castro of Bologna celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Coppa Italia match between Bologna FC and SS Lazio at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on February 11, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“Not every goal comes from a structured move. He had a brilliant intuition and scored a fantastic goal that helped us win a very important match after a difficult period. We need more performances like that to move beyond it.”

Torino 1-2 Bologna – Italiano: ‘Rowe is improving a lot’

The Rossoblu front line showed encouraging signs, particularly summer arrival Jonathan Rowe, who continues to adapt to Italian football.

“Above all Rowe is improving a lot,” Italiano said. “He has the ability to do very well one-on-one. When he adds consistency and composure near goal, he can become a top-level player. He comes from a different footballing culture, he’s young and doesn’t speak much Italian yet.”

BOLOGNA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 08: Jonathan Rowe competes for the ball with Sascha Britschgi of Parma Calcio

during the Serie A match at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Italiano also pointed to the importance of wide players contributing goals, while lamenting the timing of a setback for Federico Bernardeschi.

“Berna was growing and it’s a shame about the injury, it happened just as he was finding his rhythm. When he regains sharpness, he has the quality to shoot with more precision. Goals from wingers are important.”

Despite the victory, Italiano stressed that Bologna’s recent struggles cannot be erased by one result alone.

“In a month and a half we lost our ability to score regularly and to limit opponents. We abandoned that. We need three, four, five results with strong performances. We want to progress in Europe and stay in a competition we care deeply about. Before saying we are out of this period, we need consistency in both performances and results.”

TURIN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 15: Vincenzo Italiano looks on during the Serie A match at Stadio Olimpico di Torino on February 15, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

On whether the team had lost momentum or direction, he added:

“There are moments that turn negatively. We faced teams in great form, had red cards and mistakes all at once. We didn’t manage those situations gradually. Our true value isn’t the first place we had after Udine, but it’s much higher than what we’ve shown recently. Playing with more freedom helps, we can express ourselves even better than today.”

The win offers relief, but for Bologna the real test now lies in sustaining this level over the coming weeks.