Bologna continues its march towards securing a spot in next season's Champions League for the first time in its history, as they defeated their guests Salernitana, who sit at the bottom of the table, 2-0 on Monday in the 30th round of the Italian Serie A. Bologna sealed the match in the first half with two goals scored by international winger Riccardo Orsolini (14) and Belgian Alexis Saelemaekers (44), before Greek player Charalampos Lykogiannis added the third goal in the second minute of stoppage time.
Bologna strengthened its position in the fourth and final qualifying spot for the prestigious continental competition with a total of 57 points, pulling six points clear of fifth-placed Roma, who will later play against Lecce. The team, coached by former international midfielder Thiago Motta, achieved its eighth victory in the last nine league matches, tightening the gap with third-placed Juventus to two points after the "Old Lady" suffered a 1-0 defeat against Lazio on Saturday in the opening of the round.
Bologna, who has won the league title seven times, participated in the first round of the European Cup in 1964 but was eliminated by Belgian team Anderlecht. That year was also the last time they won the Scudetto, but they have never participated in the modern Champions League. Last season, Bologna finished in ninth place, their highest league finish in over a decade, and they are on track for their best position in years.
