At the Dall’Ara, Bologna stun a disjointed Napoli: Dallinga and Lucumì seal a 2–0 win that deepens the champions’ crisis. Conte lashes out post-match: “I don’t want to accompany a corpse.”
A magical night for Bologna at the Stadio Dall’Ara, where Vincenzo Italiano’s side handed Napoli their fifth defeat of the season across all competitions. The Rossoblù, sharper and hungrier from start to finish, triumphed 2–0 thanks to goals from Dallinga and Lucumì — climbing within a single point of the reigning champions, who continue to slide under Antonio Conte.
The match started with early drama: Bologna lost goalkeeper Skorupski after just eight minutes due to a muscle injury, forcing 17-year-old debutant Massimo Pessina into action. The youngster showed composure beyond his years, denying Elmas on the only real Napoli attempt of the first half. From there, Bologna took control through Ferguson and Pobega, with Lucumì and Dallinga both going close before halftime.
The breakthrough came five minutes after the restart. Cambiaghi, relentless down the right flank, burned past Rrahmani and squared for Dallinga, who beat Milinković-Savić at the near post for 1–0. Napoli, visibly nervous, offered little in response — Højlund risked a red card for a rash challenge on Ferguson — and the home side punished them again. In the 66th minute, Lucumì rose above everyone to head home the 2–0 and secure a deserved victory.
Conte’s substitutions failed to change the rhythm of the game. Bologna celebrated a statement win; Napoli walked off in silence.
Conte’s Reaction
Antonio Conte did not hide his frustration after the match, delivering one of his harshest outbursts since taking charge:
“I’m worried — there’s no point denying it. If you lose five games, something is clearly wrong. Something has to change, because I don’t want to accompany a corpse.”
“I don’t see any chemistry, just individuals thinking about their own problems. You can’t perform heart transplants — you either have fire inside or you don’t. Right now, we’re just going through the motions. That’s not enough for a team with these ambitions. I can feel the lack of energy — and if I can’t change that after four months, it means I’m not doing my job properly, or someone isn’t listening.”
“Bologna had more energy, more hunger, more enthusiasm. We melted away. This team needs to stop living off last year’s title — football doesn’t wait for anyone.”
Match Report
Serie A – Matchday 11
Venue: Stadio Renato Dall’Ara (Bologna)
Scorers: 50’ Dallinga (BOL), 66’ Lucumì (BOL)
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski (n/a) (8′ Pessina 6); Holm 6.5, Heggem 6, Lucumì 7, Miranda 7; Ferguson 6.5, Pobega 6.5 (81′ Moro); Orsolini 6 (81′ Casale), Odgaard 6 (61′ Bernardeschi 6.5), Rowe 6 (46′ Cambiaghi 7); Dallinga 7.
Coach: Italiano
Napoli (4-3-3): Milinković-Savić 5.5; Di Lorenzo 5, Rrahmani 5, Buongiorno 5.5 (77′ Juan Jesus), Gutiérrez 5.5 (77′ Olivera); Anguissa 5, Lobotka 5.5, McTominay 5.5 (82′ Lucca); Politano 5 (67′ Neres 5.5), Højlund 5, Elmas 5 (68′ Lang 6).
Coach: Conte
Referee: Chiffi
Bookings: Højlund (Napoli), Lang (Napoli), Orsolini (Bologna), Neres (Napoli)
Sent off: None
