Subsequent up for Liverpool within the Champions League are Bologna, who have been left annoyed once more on Wednesday as their opening fixture resulted in one other draw.
Bologna are again in European competitors for the primary time since 2002, with this the Italian facet’s first season within the top-tier event since 1964 within the European Cup.
Their Champions League debut got here at house to Shakhtar Donetsk, and it resulted in one other disappointing end result for winless supervisor Vincenzo Italiano.
Having begun the Serie A marketing campaign with three attracts and a loss – sitting seventeenth within the desk after 4 video games – Bologna can have been hoping for a extra constructive begin in Europe.
Italiano has been with out captain Lewis Ferguson (ACL), ahead Nicolo Cambiaghi (ACL) and midfielder Oussama El Azzouzi (knee) resulting from severe damage, which remained the case in midweek.
Shakhtar got a giant alternative to take the lead after simply 4 minutes when Stefan Posch introduced down Equinaldo within the field.
However goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski denied Georgiy Sudakov – a participant Liverpool have been claimed to carry a “eager curiosity” in – from the spot to keep away from an embarrassing begin.
Bologna dominated for a lot of the sport, with 17 photographs to Shakhtar’s 4 per FotMob, however have been unable to hit the killing blow.
The tie resulted in a 0-0 draw, extending Italiano’s winless run to 5 video games having swapped Fiorentina for Bologna over the summer time.
“We had probabilities, we performed the sport we wished to on this Champions League debut,” Italiano instructed Sky Sport Italia after the sport.
“Skorupski did rather well on that penalty, in any other case the sport would’ve modified fully. I thank the lads for a very good efficiency.
Thanks to your help, rain or shine ???#UCL #WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/Q00XM6bsZO
— Bologna FC 1909 (@BolognaFC1909en) September 18, 2024
“We’ve obtained to develop and enhance within the ultimate third, we’ve additionally obtained to make extra of set play conditions.
“The lads do have some regrets, as a result of it’s a sport the place we might’ve taken house all three factors.”
Bologna go to Anfield subsequent within the Champions League on October 2, however earlier than then they’ll play Monza and Atalanta in Serie A, in search of their first win.
Ferguson, Cambiaghi and El Azzouzi will all miss the journey to Liverpool, whereas three acquainted faces from the squad that secured Champions League soccer final season, Riccardio Calafiori, Joshua Zirkzee and Marko Arnautovic, have since left the membership.
Aston Villa loanee Samuel Iling-Junior and former Nottingham Forest midfielder Remo Freuler are among the many extra recognisable names in Italiano’s group, whereas new signing Thijs Dallinga confronted the Reds final yr with Toulouse.
