Inter Back on Top After Two Own Goals as Bologna Stun Milan 4-2
Inter are back at the top of Serie A, Italy's top league, after a 2-0 away win at Venezia on Wednesday. Both goals were gifts. The Guardian reports that Venezia defenders Matias Moreno and Redouane Halhal scored into their own net within two minutes of each other.
An own goal is when a player puts the ball into his own team's net by accident. The goal counts for the other side. It is a strange way to win a match, but three points are three points. Inter now share the top spot with Lazio, both on 25 points. Venezia stay rooted to the bottom of the table.
The same evening brought the bigger shock. Bologna beat AC Milan 4-2 at San Siro, Milan's home stadium in Milan. It was Milan's first league defeat of the season. Their only other result before this game had been a 2-0 away win at Cagliari, so the loss stands out.
Bologna's hero was Samuel Mbangula. He scored a hat-trick, meaning three goals in one match, on his full debut for the club. He was not a stranger to the squad, but this was his first start to show what he could do. For a young winger, few nights are better than that.
The win lifts Bologna into 11th place on 11 points. They have now won two games in a row, which is the kind of run that can change a season's mood. Bologna had been looking for momentum, and they found it against one of the biggest names in the country.
For Venezia, the story is harder. They played well enough to stay in the match long enough for two lucky breaks to decide it, and that is small comfort when you are still bottom. Points are the currency of a league table, and they have been scarce for them.
For Inter, the table tells a neat story. They are level at the top, and a win is a win. For Milan, the result is a reminder that the league is tight. One Wednesday night can undo a good run quickly, and Bologna showed that at San Siro.
Serie A runs with midweek fixtures like these through the autumn, so the table will shift again before long. For now, the headline numbers are simple. Inter and Lazio lead on 25 points. Bologna are 11th. Venezia are bottom. And one young man from Bologna will remember his first full game for the rest of his life.
