Inter inflict first defeat on Palladino's Bologna with 3-1 Dall'Ara comeback
Inter fight back to stun Bologna at the Dall'Ara
Inter completed another Serie A comeback victory to inflict the first defeat of Raffaele Palladino's reign on Bologna, winning 3-1 at the Dall'Ara through goals from Marcus Thuram, Carlos Augusto and Ange-Yoan Bonny.
The Nerazzurri were still reeling from their 4-3 home defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League, and the blow was compounded by the loss of captain Lautaro Martinez for a month with a thigh injury. Benjamin Pavard, Curtis Jones and John Stones were already sidelined.
Bologna, meanwhile, had been gathering momentum. New coach Palladino had steered them to a draw against Torino and a 2-1 victory away to Lecce, lifting them to their first win of the season, though he was without Riccardo Orsolini and Emil Holm for several weeks.
Matteo Darmian faced his former club having joined Bologna as a free agent, but it was Inter who landed the decisive blows.
A frantic start at the Dall'Ara
Tommaso Pobega flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal within 18 seconds, but Roberto Piccoli could not get the final touch at full stretch. Lukasz Skorupski, back in goal after being dropped, looked uncertain as he fingertipped a Nicolò Barella half-volley wide, while Luis Henrique failed to capitalise on being left unmarked from a Federico Dimarco corner.
Bologna took the lead on 10 minutes. Luis Henrique was caught in possession by Juan Miranda, sparking a counter-attack that sent Pobega surging into the box to surprise Josep Martinez at the near post with the inside of his left boot.
Josep Martinez flew to palm a Federico Bernardeschi strike away from under the bar, and Niccolò Cambiaghi hit the side-netting after controlling a long Arthur Theate pass. Marcus Thuram could not keep a volley down from a Federico Dimarco free kick, and Bologna were forced into a change when Piccoli limped off, replaced by Jay Enem.
Thuram levels before the break
Pobega drilled just wide from the edge of the box, and it was nearly 2-0 when Cambiaghi's attempt from a corner was charged down into the path of Pobega, who smashed against the crossbar from a tricky angle.
Instead, Inter equalised moments later. Barella whipped in a cross from the right and the towering Thuram redirected it into the far top corner with a flicked header.
Bologna responded with a mad scramble, concluded with Josep Martinez saving from Nadir Zortea at the back stick. Before half-time, Skorupski clawed a Pio Esposito header away from point-blank range.
Inter's siege pays off
Inter piled on the pressure after the interval. Skorupski smothered at Pio Esposito's feet from an Alessandro Bastoni ball over the top, and was alive to a Petar Sucic snapshot. Thuram dribbled into the box and ran into former teammate Darmian, but the Inter striker was booked for simulation — though it was not a penalty either.
Lewis Ferguson threw his face in the way of a Sucic curler to deflect it off target, but the siege finally paid off with two substitutes making an immediate impact. Andy Diouf sent Piotr Zielinski down the right, who rolled it across for Carlos Augusto to tap in at the back post with practically his first touch.
Inter should have been 3-1 up when Ange-Yoan Bonny drew Skorupski out and his shot was pushed into the path of Sucic, who somehow volleyed against the upright of an open goal from 10 yards.
Bonny seals it
Bonny did have the ball in the net on 81 minutes, but only after he was flagged offside. It was merely a warning. Soon after, a fine team move involving four substitutes saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan control a Hakan Calhanoglu cross-field pass and send Carlos Augusto down the left. The roll across was tapped in from seven yards by Bonny.
Bologna 1-3 Inter
Pobega 10 (B), Thuram 44 (I), Carlos Augusto 69 (I), Bonny 84 (I)