First the comeback, then the final mockery: Napoli bows to Bologna, everything still open for Champions

The 36th day closes with Bologna’s 3-2 success at home to Napoli on Serie A’s “Monday Night.” At the “Maradona” the guests produced a lightning half-hour, even taking a 2-0 lead, Antonio Conte’s team managed to recover the two goals of disadvantage between the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half but was mocked in the recovery by Rowe’s kick, which could have an important weight in the fight for the Champions League that involves, in addition to Napoli, Juventus, Milan, Roma and Como.

Bologna got off to a strong start and after the initial skirmishes took the lead at 10′: Bernardeschi exchanged with Miranda on the edge of the area and let off a great left-footer, which Milinkovic-Savic failed to clear. Two minutes later the same Miranda came close to making it 2-0 by hitting the crossbar, certifying Napoli’s moment of difficulty. On 31′ new turning point: Di Lorenzo (back after three and a half months of injury layoff) lands Miranda in the box, the referee after the review in the VAR Room awards the shot from the penalty spot that Orsolini transforms on 34′.

In the middle of the first half recovery, however, Di Lorenzo makes up for it by finding a goal that he had been missing since last January 7: the national team’s lateral takes advantage of a favorable rebound in the box to beat the young Pessina, a 2007 class goalkeeper already coveted on the market, to the net. The comeback is complete not even three minutes after the start of the second half: Hojlund collects the ball with his back to the goal and serves the incoming Alisson Santos, who burns the defense on time and kicks in the goal finding the 2-2.

The match remains lively but does not seem to offer any further excitement: everything changes, however, at 91′, when Miranda strikes the net and finds Milinkovic-Savic’s opposition, but the ball goes to Rowe who in acrobatics signs the goal that, in fact, is worth the success of the Felsinei in front of the astonished home fans.

For the partenopei’s Champions qualification, therefore, there is still to wait: also for this reason, today’s match certifies the need to play Pisa-Napoli at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday 17 along with the other matches of the teams fighting for second, third and fourth positions, instead of at 6 p.m. as it would have been possible, according to the Lega Serie A, if Napoli had already won tonight the qualification for the League Phase of the top European competition.