UEL | Brann 0-1 Bologna: Castro secures precious first leg victory

Santiago Castro has given Bologna a precious 1-0 first leg lead in the Europa League play-off, defeating SK Brann in Norway.

These teams met in November during the league phase, the Rossoblu unlucky not to win that 0-0 draw despite being down to 10 men for over an hour. Charalampos Lykogiannis was sent off in that game, but injured here, with Lorenzo De Silvestri cup-tied. Norwegians Brann were on a winter break, so spent the last couple of weeks in a Spanish training camp, but Niklas Castro and Saevar Atli Magnusson were out of action. The second leg of this play-off is at the Stadio Dall’Ara on February 26.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It took nine minutes to break the deadlock, as Federico Bernardeschi intercepted a wayward clearance and Niccolò Cambiaghi’s disguised pass sent Santiago Castro down the left for a precise angled drive.

Ingason had penalty appeals for a cross charged down by Martin Vitik, but his arm was under his body as he went sliding in.

Lukasz Skorupski made a desperate double save on a corner, getting a hand to the Urik Mathisen glancing header and then throwing himself in the way of a Jon Dagur Thorsteinssen tap-in.

Riccardo Orsolini came on at half-time and made an immediate impact, stinging the goalkeeper’s gloves at the near post after a deflected Nikola Moro cross.

Cambiaghi and Orsolini had efforts charged down, while another trademark Orsolini curler was palmed away by Mathias Dyngeland.

Orsolini also shimmied away from two defenders to fire just past the far top corner, while Thijs Dallinga’s flick on a Juan Miranda cross looped up, forcing a tricky fingertip save under the crossbar.

Brann 0-1 Bologna

Castro 9 (Bo)