Bologna 1-1 Torino result, stats and report

Bologna needed this one. Five matches without a win, no clean sheets in that stretch, and a home crowd desperate to see some fight. For 63 minutes, it looked like Federico Bernardeschi had given them exactly the result they required. Then Torino's substitutes changed the game, and a team that could not hold onto a lead had to settle for yet another draw. That is where Bologna are right now. End of.

The Opening Goal: Bernardeschi Strikes Early

Fourteen minutes. That is how long it took for the game's first moment of quality to arrive. Bernardeschi converted with his left foot, assisted by Juan Miranda, and Bologna had the lead. It was the kind of start that should set a platform. You go in front at home, you manage the game, you compete for 76 minutes, and you take three points. The basics. Bologna managed none of that.

The thing is, that goal was built on very little. Bologna finished the match with just one shot on target. One. Their dangerous attacks numbered eleven compared to Torino's 28. They had 40 per cent of the ball and created zero big chances across the 90 minutes. Bernardeschi scored despite the team around him doing almost nothing in an attacking sense. That is not a performance you can win from. Not at this level.

Torino Controlled Without Punishing

Torino were the better side for long stretches and the statistics make that plain. They had 60 per cent possession, 14 total shots to Bologna's 11, three shots on target to Bologna's one, six corners to Bologna's one, and 18 total crosses to Bologna's five. They also created one big chance. They missed it. That is a problem of a different kind.

Torino came into this match having lost to AS Roma in their previous outing, conceding twice without reply. Before that, they had beaten Fiorentina. The inconsistency is there. But on this evidence, they had enough quality to win this match and they did not take it. You do not get points for dominating. You get points for scoring. Torino managed one, late, and had to accept that was enough to earn a draw rather than three.

Their discipline was also a concern. Three yellow cards, picked up by Daniel Bragança, Rafik Belghali, and Nathan Patterson. Bragança earned his in the first half for a foul, then was hauled off at half-time. Patterson was booked in the 78th minute. You cannot keep giving referees decisions to make. That is an attitude issue, not a tactical one.

The Substitutes Decide It

Torino made their move at half-time. Nathan Patterson came on for Niccolò Fortini at the break, and the shift in energy was notable. Then on 55 minutes, Sandro Kulenović replaced Kian Fitz-Jim. Twenty-two minutes after coming on, Kulenović scored. Right foot, assisted by Rolando Mandragora. 1-1. Game level. Bologna had held a lead for over an hour and let a substitute take it from them.

Bologna responded with their own changes. Jens Odgaard and Lorenzo De Silvestri came on in the 58th minute. Riccardo Orsolini, who had been listed as injured and was expected back around 23 September, was brought on in the 76th minute, replacing the goalscorer Bernardeschi. Nikola Moro followed a minute later. None of it made a difference going forward. Bologna had one shot on target all match. That number did not improve in the final quarter.

Bologna's Form is a Serious Problem

Let us be straight about where Bologna are. Across their last five Serie A matches before this one, they had zero wins, two draws, and three losses. They scored five and conceded eight. They had kept zero clean sheets. This draw makes it six matches without a win and still no clean sheet. Against Napoli, they lost without scoring. Against Atalanta, they lost without scoring. Against Lazio, they lost without scoring. That is a defence that cannot defend and an attack that cannot attack.

The thing is, the wider ten-match sample tells you the same story. Two wins, three draws, five losses. Nine goals scored, fourteen conceded. That is not a blip. That is a pattern. A pattern that comes from not competing hard enough, not executing the basics under pressure, and not holding a lead when you get one. Bologna got a lead today and still could not win. That tells you everything.

Their injury situation has not helped. Three players were listed out for this match, including one with a moderate injury and two with minor concerns. But injuries are part of football. You do not get to use them as a reason for not doing your job.

Accountability Must Follow

Torino's own form is not impressive. Two wins in ten Serie A matches, five losses, conceding sixteen goals in that window. Their clean sheet percentage in that sample sits at ten per cent. They are a side with problems of their own. But they came to Bologna, went behind, and found a way to equalise through a substitute in the final quarter. That shows some desire. Some accountability in the squad.

Bologna led and drew. Torino trailed and drew. Those are two very different outcomes psychologically. One side has something to build on. The other has questions to answer.

A 1-1 draw at home when you opened the scoring and had 63 minutes to see it out. Bologna had one shot on target. No clean sheet, again. No win, again. The standards at this club need addressing immediately. That is not a complicated analysis. That is just what you saw.