Bologna f.c.
No shocks to Bologna’s standings. The rossoblù maintain fourth place, after the slowdown of the four closest pursuers, all blocked by a draw. The shock instead comes from the bench: circus, 22 years old, reported a first degree injury to the left hamstring which will keep him away from the green rectangles for 3-4 weeks. Fortunately for Thiago Motta, the break for the international friendlies will allow the Dutchman to miss only two matches, perhaps three. All things considered, feasible matches, looking at the rankings, against Empoli, Salernitana and possibly Frosinone.
The best scorer of Saputo’s team is unavailable, it will be up to the substitutes to ensure that the stop against Inter does not turn into a sudden stop. In short, we need goals from Jens Odgaard and Santiago Castro.
The Dane, born in 1999, arrived under the Two Towers during the last repair market, on loan with the right to buy for four million plus a bonus. The Argentine, who is 20 years old, also arrived on the January market for 12 million, but on a permanent basis.
Odgaard has already had experience of our championship: after his first season as a professional in the first Danish team of Lyngby (the club’s youngest player to debut in the top flight), in 2017 he was purchased by Inter. Here, the natural left-footed player, also at ease with his right foot, played the season with the Primavera where, overall, he accumulated 29 appearances, 15 goals and 5 assists. His good performances did not guarantee his place at striker, who is skilled in the air thanks to his height of 188 cm. The following year he was sold to Sassuolo, where he played again in the Primavera, collecting just a quarter of an hour in Serie A in the draw against Spal. Then a series of loans between Holland and Switzerland until reachingAlkmaar, where he competes until the courtship of Sartori, who takes him back to Italy in the shadow of the Maratona tower.
In the month Odgaard played for rossoblù 4 matches and scored 2 goals (the average is one marking every 60 minutes); however, it was only in the last match against Inter that he was called up as a starter, in the role of right winger. This is an unusual position for the central striker, but it could open up the possibility of his use in tandem with Castro: the latter would be the pivot of the attack, replacing the injured Zirkzee, with the Dane precisely covering the Right Lane.
Santiago Castro himself is the novelty that the people of Bologna are waiting to judge. The Argentine, born in 2004, participated in the qualifiers between January and February‘albiceleste under 23 for the Olympics, with Argentina and Paraguay ultimately designated to represent South America in the next Paris games. The national commitment kept him away from Dall’Ara. Castro was only able to play 11 minutes with the rossoblù, taking over from Zirkzee in the match against Inter.
The young striker is certainly less focused on aerial play, he is about 10 cm shorter than Odgaard, but his strength and playing in tight spaces are his strong points. It is no coincidence that he is highly appreciated by coach Thiago Motta, who made possession and quick ball movement the key to the team’s explosive performances.
Odgaard or Castro, perhaps it doesn’t matter for Bologna fans. What matters is who will continue, with his goals, to make them dream of the Europe that matters.
Pictured (right to left): Jens Odgaard, Joshua Zirkzee and Santiago Castro.
Photo by: Bologna Fc 1909.