Bologna Cruises Past Lazio in a Stellar Performance to Secure a Spot in Serie A’s Top Four

Bologna delivered a stunning performance, thrashing their top-four rivals Lazio 5-0 at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. This victory marked their fourth consecutive Serie A win, a feat they haven’t achieved four times in a row in more than half a century, and also their largest margin of victory against the Romans since February 1958.

The Rossoblu’s remarkable run at home, now with six straight victories, has reinvigorated their push for a top-four finish, making them feel optimistic about their chances against Lazio, whom they have traditionally performed well against in the Serie A.

The match kicked off perfectly for the hosts as they quickly regained possession and transitioned the ball to Juan Miranda. His well-placed cross into the box was met with a close-range finish from Jens Odgaard, who found the net with a deft touch.

Although Marco Baroni’s squad drew confidence from their advancement to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals earlier in the week, they struggled to find their footing once they fell behind.

Notably, Lazio couldn’t muster a single shot on target in the first half, leaving Bologna’s keeper, Lukasz Skorupski, with a serene opening 45 minutes.

However, there was a sense that Lazio would return to the pitch with much greater intent, especially considering their impressive away form, which ranks them among the top three teams for points won on the road.

Bologna squashed any hopes of a Lazio resurgence with two rapid goals shortly after the restart.

First, Dan Ndoye provided a clever through-ball that set Riccardo Orsolini free, allowing the winger to cleverly lob the ball over the advancing Provedel, just managing to keep his shot beneath the crossbar to extend the lead.

Ndoye then switched roles from provider to scorer by connecting with a pull-back from Lewis Ferguson, sending a swift right-footed shot past Provedel into the net.

Lazio, who entered the match as the second-highest scoring team in Serie A, could not replicate their usual attacking flair, as Bologna expertly neutralised their threats.

To add insult to injury, Bologna netted two more goals before the final whistle, registering their 120th and 121st home goals in Serie A against Lazio, as Santiago Castro and Giovanni Fabbian completed a dismal outing for the travelling Biancocelesti supporters.

This emphatic result sees Bologna leap ahead of both Lazio and Juventus into fourth place, although the Old Lady still have a game in hand.