Bologna have their first league win of the season, and with it a little room to breathe. The 2-1 result at Lecce does not erase the uncertainties around Raffaele Palladino’s side, but it changes the temperature before a demanding run of fixtures.
The decision
Riccardo Orsolini provided the defining moment in Lecce, scoring after finding himself with unusual freedom inside the penalty area. It was his brightest display since returning from injury, with his pace and direct running alongside Nicolò Cambiaghi giving Bologna an outlet on the wings.
There is, however, an immediate concern over Orsolini’s right hamstring. Palladino had begun to shape a side with energy in attacking areas and experience further back, but another possible absence would force fresh calculations just as the calendar becomes less forgiving.
The other goal came from Enem, whose finish carried the authority of a central striker and offered Bologna an option beyond Piccoli. Lecce struggled badly with Bologna’s quick combinations and overlapping movements, allowing not only the two goals but several further chances through slack defensive control.
The three points arrived five months after Bologna’s previous win, recorded in Bergamo on 17 May, when Palladino had been the opposing coach. In his second match on the Bologna bench, the coach has now delivered a result with greater weight than its place in the calendar might suggest: it has moved the club away from a psychologically dangerous area of the standings after an opening marked by anxiety and uncertainty.
Yet the victory did not settle every issue. Goalkeeping remains an open matter. Lukas Skorupski was left among the substitutes, while Massimo Pessina’s error allowed Lecce back into the match. Bologna’s defensive imperfections also remain evident, although Casale and Darmian are beginning to show a better understanding of Serie A. Improvement in midfield quality could offer the side a more stable platform.
Sunday’s picture
The win gives Bologna a healthier perspective before a severe sequence: Inter visit on Saturday, followed by an away trip to Cagliari and then Milan at the Dall’Ara. Palladino’s team will need more than relief to negotiate that stretch; it will need to turn its attacking promise into greater control and reduce the errors that made the Lecce afternoon unnecessarily tense.
For Lecce, the defeat exposed the growing pains of one of the league’s youngest squads. Their average age is below 25, compared with a Bologna group aged comfortably above 26 and among the four most experienced in the division. Lecce pressed during their stronger spells but lacked the accuracy to make them count.
They are still without a draw this season, a reflection of their difficulty managing difficult matches, and their forwards have yet to score. Amar Fatah, the Swedish winger of Somali heritage, registered the first goal from that attacking unit only because of Pessina’s mistake.
Lecce now face Udinese and Frosinone away from home, with Juventus and Genoa due in Salento. The coming weeks will require a broader contribution in front of goal and a more disciplined response when matches begin to turn against them.
