Champions League | Sporting 1-1 Bologna: Pobega grabs a final point | OneFootball

Bologna bow out of the Champions League with a creditable 1-1 draw away to Sporting CP, knowing the hosts needed a victory in Lisbon.

The Rossoblu celebrated their first ever victory, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1, but knew it wouldn’t be enough to keep them in the competition. Riccardo Orsolini, Michel Aebischer and Niccolò Cambiaghi were injured, while Jhon Lucumi had flu and Remo Freuler was suspended. Sporting still had a slim chance of getting into the play-offs, but Pedro Goncalves, Eduardo Quaresma, Nuno Santos, Hidemasa Morita and star striker Viktor Gyokeres were not fully fit.

See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.

Bologna had a bright start, as Sam Beukema’s header thumped the crossbar, but Lewis Ferguson injured his thigh taking that corner and had to limp off.

Set plays continued to cause problems and Bologna took the lead when another corner was flicked on by Beukema for the Tommaso Pobega header from six yards.

LISBON, PORTUGAL – JANUARY 29: Conrad Harder of Sporting CP celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD8 match between Sporting Clube de Portugal and Bologna FC 1909 at Estadio Jose Alvalade on January 29, 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)

Sporting tried to fight back with Harder the biggest danger, a snapshot from a tricky angle testing Nicola Ravaglia, but Bologna threatened a second with a tough one-handed save on Pobega’s right-foot finish.

With other results, Sporting would’ve been eliminated from the tournament entirely, so they poured forward and Conrad Harder finally got the tap-in at the near post on the Joao Simoes pull-back from the by-line.

Sporting 1-1 Bologna

Pobega 21 (B), Harder 77 (S)