Bologna – Internazionale: Orsolini Goes From Knocking To Barging Doors Down (1-0)

A game of cautiousness was counteracted by a goal of sheer quality. After weeks of knocking on Luciano Spalletti’s door, Riccardo Orsolini charged through with a world-class winner to beat title challengers Internazionale. A goal with huge value to not only the European race but towards the Scudetto itself.

Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker.

In a league where faces can last for a lifetime, Vincenzo Italiano and Simone Inzaghi represent the new era of Italian coaching: less dogmatic in possession but with off-the-ball principles that can override the buildup aims of the opposition.

Bologna presses higher than any other team in Serie A, with a 4-2-4 structure that forces opponents to one side and man-marks against their buildup. Their set-up can restrict, but their high defensive line can be breached. Inter can organize themselves into a similar intensity, but Inzaghi’s usage of traditional low-block methods inflicts plenty of frustration… after all, they now have a Champions League semi-final date because they were able to frustrate Bayern.

On Easter Sunday, these two met in the middle of a packed fixture list. Bologna had done Inter a favor by taming Napoli earlier in the month, now Inzaghi had to bypass a tricky team for them in the past. Points are crucial since Napoli matched their total the day before and Inter has commitments in both Europe and domestically (another matchup against Milan) to . . .