Bologna: Italiano praises the team, decisive challenge against Milan

The reaction in the second half? "They deserved the prize of victory". The race for Europe? "The standings are very tight and nine points up for grabs are a lot". The penalty? "Many people tell me that it was there, but I haven't seen the episode again...".

It is unheard of for the coach of a team that was theoretically wronged to claim that he did not glance at the monitor after the match to review the disputed episode. But there are moments and moments.

And for Vincenzo Italiano this is the time to give a pat on the back to a Bologna who only lacked, as in Udine, the three-point shot, but who once again put their opponent on the ropes after the break.

"I'm very happy with the performance of the boys – says the rossoblù coach –. After the initial disadvantage and a first half in which the Juve, in another couple of restarts, he hurt us in the second half we took control of the game playing at a very high pace. Here, this intensity and this pace twenty days from the end of the season are a good sign for us that in the next matches we really have a lot at stake".

But the start last night was all uphill.

"Thuram, with his pace, split our midfield in the first quarter of an hour," the coach admits. "Juve, with their physicality and freshness, put us in difficulty in that moment. We could have done something more about the goal, but there was also a small deflection by Ferguson that left Skorupski disoriented."

Luckily, however, after the break everything was different. Bologna.

"For what we built in the second half we deserved the three points," Italiano said: "In terms of pace, intensity and aggression we were there, all we lacked was the winning thrust. It's a shame, because we came really close on so many corners."

Now let's get on with it Milan: first in the championship, on Friday night at the Meazza, and then in the final of Coppa Italia May 14th at the Olimpico.

It's a strange fate to face the Rossoneri twice in five days. "We'll prepare for Friday's match with the aim of getting points for our standings," added Italiano, "and this is a good thing because it will allow us to reach the Cup final with maximum concentration."

Yes, the focus from now until Friday is on the championship and on a standings which has made a real wild pile for theEurope.

"We're all there and nine points on the table, with this very short standings, are enormous," observes Italiano. However it ends, the journey remains, "which for me is amazing considering that it's never easy to repeat yourself."

Doveri's performance was much less sensational, but the rossoblù coach does not intend to argue with him.

"I didn't see the penalty incident again and Doveri offered a positive performance: perhaps a few yellow cards waved before could have taken away a bit of aggression from our opponents".

Everything was also clarified with Tudor: "There was an argument on the pitch because everyone wants to win, but when the match ends we hug and remain friends: with Igor there is a good relationship".