Bologna battles back to hold Inter
Inter Milan blew a two-goal lead to drop points at the top of Serie A as Bologna earned a 2-2 draw at San Siro.
Inter looked set to move clear at the summit of the table after it raced into a 2-0 lead after just 13 minutes as Francesco Acerbi and Lautaro Martinez scored.
But mid-table Bologna hit back, with Bendetta Orsolini scoring from the penalty spot before the break and Joshua Zirkzee completing the comeback after the break.
Although the hosts made a fast start, it was Bologna that almost drew first blood as former Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson hit the post in an open start to the match.
But it was the hosts that soon took control as Acerbi headed home from Hakan Calhanoglu’s corner in the 11th minute.
Two minutes later it was 2-0 as Martinez doubled the lead in style, rocketing a 25-yard shot into the top corner for his 10th goal of the season, becoming just the third Inter player in history to reach double figures in the opening eight matches.
Bologna was shell-shocked, but responded well and was awarded an 18th-minute penalty when VAR spotted an infringement at a corner, with Martinez ruled to have fouled Ferguson.
Orsolini converted from 12 yards, but Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer may be disappointed after he got a hand to to the ball.
Inter should have restored its two-goal lead eight minutes before the break as both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Calhanoglu found space in the area but could not get their shots away.
Bologna responded well after the break and levelled seven minutes into the second period.
Zirkzee got the ball on the edge of the area and wrong-footed Sommer, shooting into the near post to make it 2-2.
Inter thought it had regained the lead on the hour when Sanchez converted Carlos Augusto’s cross, but it was ruled out for offside.
Boss Simone Inzhagi’s frustration boiled over and he received a yellow card in protestations at refereeing decisions.
His mood did not improve as Martinez then flashed a header just wide from a corner as Inter pushed to regain the lead.
The pressure mounted in the final 10 minutes with Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski beating away Augusto’s shot before the same player headed over at the death.
