Serie A: Bologna Edge Udinese with Late Penalty

Bologna beat Udinese amidst controversy

Bologna win 1-0 over Udinese thanks to Federico Bernardeschi's penalty, securing back-to-back league wins for the first time since November.

Bologna kept pushing after the break, and they came close to breaking through on 54 minutes...

Bologna secured a late 1-0 win over Udinese, with Federico Bernardeschi scoring from a penalty to give Vincenzo Italiano's side back-to-back league wins for the first time since November.

The game started slowly, with both teams struggling to create chances at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara. Udinese thought they'd been awarded a penalty when a challenge from Bologna's Stefan Posnjak appeared to take down Udinese's Maja. However, VAR ruled there was no foul, sparking controversy. Bologna then pushed for the win, with Bernardeschi scoring the decisive penalty late on, sparking jubilation among the home fans.

Bernardeschi's peanlty gives Bologna the win! 🎯#BolognaUdinese pic.twitter.com/DBzUB5863w

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) February 23, 2026

Bologna's Tommaso Pobega had the clearest chance of the first half, unleashing a 25-yard drive that Maduka Okoye batted away impressively on 35 minutes.

That energized the home side, and Udinese almost conceded instantly after, but Santiago Castro's spectacular volley from just inside the box flew over the bar. Bologna ended the half on a promising note, looking to snap a four-game losing streak after European duty.

Bologna kept pushing after the break, and they came close to breaking through on 54 minutes. Riccardo Orsolini pounced on a defensive error, but Maduka Okoye made a spectacular save. Jonathan Rowe's follow-up chip was then blocked by Jordan Zemura.

However, the game was decided by a moment of officiating farce, as Matteo Marcenaro eventually awarded a penalty after a VAR review adjudged Jesper Karlstrom to have fouled Castro right on the edge of the penalty area.

Goalscorer Federico Bernardeschi is the Panini Player of the Match! 🏆⚽#BolognaUdinese pic.twitter.com/y45AxeZPKD

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) February 23, 2026

As chaos reigned over the call from Marcenaro, Bernardeschi kept his cool from 12 yards to score for the second Serie A game running against Udinese.

Udinese pushed back in the closing stages, with Nicolo Zaniolo's shot sailing narrowly off target and Jakub Piotrowski's free-kick testing Lukasz Skorupski. Bologna now shift focus to their Europa League Last 16 playoff against Brann on Thursday.

Matchweek 26 at a glance! 🧐 pic.twitter.com/rM0ot5cG23

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) February 23, 2026