Ndoye’s Wonder Strike Leaves Bologna and Napoli Stuck in 1-1 Deadlock

Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa gave Napoli the lead, but Bologna dominated the second half with a sensational Dan Ndoye back-heel flick equaliser, as they both failed to take advantage of other results.

This was a huge fixture for the table, because a win could let the Rossoblu leapfrog Atalanta into third place, or see Napoli cut the gap at the top to one point. Both sides were forced into last-minute changes, as Alex Meret had the flu and Alessandro Buongiorno a muscular issue, while Lewis Ferguson pulled out in the warm-up for Michael Aebischer, with Davide Calabria already injured. Antonio Conte sat out a touchline ban.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
It was Napoli who took the lead with a remarkable solo effort from Anguissa, who flicked on the long ball in the centre-circle, shrugged off challenges from Emil Holm and Juan Miranda, then stayed on his feet to go around Lukasz Skorupski, depositing into the empty net.
Skorupski hurt his knee during that move and had to come off, replaced by Federico Ravaglia in the Bologna goal.
Thijs Dallinga fired over with a chest and volley on the turn, while Scott McTominay also couldn’t keep his finish down on a David Neres lay-off.
McTominay did do better when meeting the Giovanni Di Lorenzo roll across from the right, but Ravaglia got down quickly to palm it round the upright.
Ravaglia also had to time the run off his line just right to anticipate Matteo Politano clear on goal, while Aebischer’s strike flashed just past the top corner from the edge of the area.
Bologna poured forward after the restart, as Politano got back for an important interception to help the defence on a Dan Ndoye counter-attack.
The hosts had a big chance to equalise on 59 minutes, as Simone Scuffet got a glove to the John Lucumi flicked header on a corner kick and Matias Olivera made a desperate clearance on the rebound. Moments later, Orsolini’s chest and volley flashed just over from a tricky angle.
The siege paid off with a spectacular equaliser, as Odgaard rolled across from the left and Ndoye met it at the near post with a cheeky back-heel flick from six yards that bounced in off the underside of the crossbar.
They kept pushing, with Dallinga and Orsolini just unable to get on the end of a dangerous Odgaard ball flashed across the face of goal, then Scuffet punched a Miranda free kick away, before Billy Gilmour’s crucial clearance as Santiago Castro was ready to tap in the loose ball from four yards.
Bologna had an extraordinary chance to win it in the final minute of normal time, as Scuffet clawed the Emil Holm header out from under the bar and Castro bundled the rebound wide from a couple of yards.
Yet Napoli threatened to win it in stoppages with their only real attempt of the entire second half, a Giacomo Raspadori strike deflected to test Ravaglia, who was also alert on the Amir Rrahmani rebound. In an intense match, Napoli took the lead thanks to Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa’s stunning solo goal. He received a long ball in the center circle, shrugged off defenders Emil Holm and Juan Miranda, and managed to round goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski to slot the ball into an empty net. However, Skorupski injured his knee in the process and was replaced by Federico Ravaglia.

Bologna made a strong push in the second half, and after several close calls, they finally leveled the score. Dan Ndoye scored a spectacular equalizer with a cheeky back-heel flick from close range, bouncing the ball off the underside of the crossbar after a clever setup from Odgaard.

Despite some tense moments, including missed opportunities from both sides during the match, the teams were unable to capitalize on their chances. Bologna nearly snatched a late victory when Simone Scuffet made a crucial save against an Emil Holm header, but Santiago Castro’s follow-up shot went wide.

As the game drew to a close, Napoli threatened to reclaim the lead with a deflected Giacomo Raspadori shot, but Ravaglia was quick to react, ensuring the match ended in a hard-fought draw. This match was crucial for both teams as they aimed to improve their standings in the league, but ultimately, neither side managed to secure the victory they so desperately needed.