Bologna go second as coach ignites comeback from hospital

Milan: Bologna moved second in Serie A on Sunday after a thrilling 4-3 comeback win over promoted Brescia inspired by coach Sinisa Mihajlovic who gave instructions from hospital as he undergoes a second round of chemotherapy for leukaemia.

“At the end of the first half we heard Mihajlovic’s anger on the phone and this shook us,” said Bologna forward Rodrigo Palacio.

“We talked to him before the game, for us it is very important and we miss him. We play like this thanks to his mentality.”

Sunday’s game was the first the 50-year-old Mihajlovic has missed despite his condition.

A quick-fire Alfredo Donnarumma double saw Brescia -- playing their first home match in eight years -- lead after 19 minutes.

Mattia Bani headed Bologna back into the game on 36 minutes, with the visitors trailing 3-1 before Brescia were hit by Daniele Dessena’s sending off for a second yellow card just after the break.

Bologna came back with goals from Palacio on 56 minutes, Stefano Denswil four minutes later and a Riccardo Orsolini’s winner ten minutes from time.

Mihajlovic’s side, who finished tenth last season, are now two points behind Inter Milan and ahead of champions Juventus on goal difference after three games.

Lazio suffered their first defeat this season as they sat back following Ciro Immobile’s 17th-minute penalty against SPAL.

An Andrea Petagna volley just after the hour mark in Ferrara and Jasmin Kurtic’s late winner sealed all three points for SPAL.

Roma got their first win this season against Sassuolo. AC Milan are just behind Atalanta, also with six points, after Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek got back scoring with a 68th-minute penalty in a hard-fought 1-0 victory over 10-man Verona.

Roma are just behind in eighth after new coach Paulo Fonseca got his first win , a 4-2 defeat of Sassuolo, for the capital side.

The hosts were four goals up at the break after Bryan Cristante, Edin Dzeko, Henrikh Mikhitaryan and Justin Kluivert all found the net in a 21-minute spell with Lorenzo Pellegrini providing three assists.

But Domenico Berardi’s brace for Sassuolo on 53 and 72 minutes rattled the hosts who are back in the Stadio Olimpico during the week for Europa League action against Istanbul Basaksehir.

Agence France-Presse