By Our Man in Backa Topola
BOLOGNA proved they are the real deal in Europe last night, brushing aside a toothless Maccabi Tel Aviv with a clinical 3-0 display that secured their status as seeds for the knockout play-offs.
In the chilly confines of the TSC Arena in Serbia, it was the Rossoblu’s star men who heated things up.
Jonathan Rowe and Riccardo Orsolini—starting together in a rare attacking tandem—shredded the Israeli defense to pieces, leaving interim Maccabi boss Dan Roman wondering what hit him just 48 hours into the job.
The Italians dominated from the off, but they had to wait until the 35th minute for the breakthrough. It came via the predatory instincts of Jonathan Rowe.
After Nikola Moro’s stinging drive was spilled by Ofek Melika, the English youngster was the sharpest man in the box, pouncing to poke home his second Europa League goal in as many games.
Maccabi had their moments, with Noam Ben Harush missing a sitter and Kervin Andrade dinking a shot agonizingly wide, but the gulf in class was evident.
If Rowe provided the spark, Riccardo Orsolini provided the fireworks. Just 60 seconds after the restart, the Bologna talisman danced past two defenders, cut inside onto his lethal left foot, and drilled a low finish into the bottom corner.
It was a historic strike for the Italian international—his 11th of the season across all competitions—solidifying his status as the club’s modern-day king.
Vincenzo Italiano’s men didn’t let up, and while they narrowly missed out on an automatic top-eight spot due to results elsewhere, they finished the league phase in style.
Late substitute Tommaso Pobega added the gloss in the 94th minute, sweeping home a Nicolò Cambiaghi cross to make it a round three.
The win ends a shaky run of form for Bologna and sends them into Friday’s draw as the team nobody wants to face.
For Maccabi, it was a miserable end to a winless campaign, rooted to the foot of the table and looking every bit like a side in crisis.
