Bologna fell 2-0 to Liverpool at Anfield, with Alexis Mac Allister’s opener and a stunning strike from Mohamed Salah sealing the win for the Reds.
Despite the defeat, the Italian side tested Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, multiple times throughout the match.
Bologna had kicked off their European campaign with a goalless draw at home against Shakhtar Donetsk, a result they owed in part to Lukasz Skorupski’s heroic penalty save.
Meanwhile, Liverpool had triumphed 3-1 away against Milan.
Bologna’s injury concerns were notable, with Nicolò Cambiaghi, Lewis Ferguson, and Oussama El Azzouzi sidelined.
Santiago Castro was also a doubt due to a bruised calf, leading to Thijs Dallinga being named in the starting lineup. Liverpool were also missing key players, with Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott unavailable.
Just 90 seconds into the match, Stefan Posch almost gifted Liverpool an early lead, his attempted clearance coming dangerously close to ending up in his own net.
Dallinga thought he had put Bologna ahead at the 10-minute mark, but his celebrations were cut short as he had strayed offside.
The tide quickly turned in Liverpool’s favour. Mohamed Salah delivered a perfectly floated cross from the right wing, which found Alexis Mac Allister at the back post.
With no real pressure from Bologna’s defense, Mac Allister calmly tapped the ball past Luis Diaz, securing the lead for the hosts.
Liverpool were relentless in attack, and Darwin Nunez nearly added a second goal. He latched onto a precise through ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold, only to see the goal chalked off due to an offside decision.
Dominik Szoboszlai also came close, his drilled shot from a Salah assist missing the target by mere inches.
Bologna, however, refused to back down. Dan Ndoye came close to leveling the score, unleashing a powerful shot from a tight angle that rattled the crossbar.
Moments later, he dispossessed Alexander-Arnold and set up Kacper Urbanski, forcing Alisson into a crucial save. It was a standout performance from Alisson, who was celebrating his birthday with yet another heroic display between the posts.
After the break, Bologna continued to push for an equalizer. Riccardo Orsolini’s free kick looked destined for the net, but Alisson was once again up to the task, pulling off a remarkable save.
Salah, on the other hand, showed his clinical touch at the other end, curling a superb shot from the edge of the box into the top corner, putting the game out of Bologna’s reach.
Despite the loss, Bologna’s persistence created plenty of problems for Liverpool, making Alisson work hard for his clean sheet. However, the Reds’ efficiency in front of goal ultimately made the difference.
