Bologna manager’s stance on Liverpool’s atmosphere at Anfield says it all

Vincenzo Italiano’s maiden voyage to Anfield left its mark on him after coming off second-best against Liverpool. His Bologna side had their moments on Merseyside but struggled to break down their hosts and lost 2-0 in Wednesday’s Champions League encounter.

Alexis Mac Allister broke the deadlock just 11 minutes into the game, but it took another hour for Mohamed Salah to ease any remaining tension with the Reds’ second goal. Bologna managed to keep things competitive with almost an even split in possession, although they were lacking a certain bite in attack.

The Rossoblu’s Champions League debut produced a draw at home to Shakhtar Donetsk, and they remain goalless in Europe’s elite club competition after their journey to England resulted in a first European defeat of the season. Italiano couldn’t shake the feeling his squad was overwhelmed by the welcome waiting for them on his first visit to one of football’s most revered venues.

“Playing in a stadium like this makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up,” he said in his post-match press conference (via The Mirror). “The opposition players, playing at home, are lifted up by this support around the stadium. I think in the first few minutes we found this difficult to come to terms with.”

Arne Slot’s first European home match as Liverpool boss came off without a hitch in front of an almost full house of 59,816 fans. And it means Liverpool still boast a perfect record against Italian teams this season, having kicked off the Champions League with a 3-1 victory over AC Milan at the San Siro.

Despite their efforts, Bologna failed to emulate Liverpool’s success silencing the crowd in a hostile environment. The Rossoblu had more attempts at goal than their hosts but only managed to hit the target twice, half Liverpool’s tally despite having fewer efforts.

The Serie A outfit were largely limited to long-range shots, much to the satisfaction of Liverpool boss Slot. The Dutch manager praised his team’s performance as “a good one” and acknowledged the threat posed by the opposition but admitted his side could have done a better job controlling affairs.

The final score might have been different if not for Salah’s spectacular finish in the 75th minute. His curling effort into the top-left corner not only made him the highest-scoring African player in the competition’s history (45), but also marked him as the first Liverpool player to score in five consecutive Champions League campaigns.

And what better way to celebrate such a milestone than in front of the Kop with thousands of fans at full volume? Not that Italiano’s memory from his first competitive visit to Anfield will be quite as upbeat.