Vincenzo Italiano couldn’t say enough good things about Santiago Castro after Bologna’s 1-0 win away at Brann in the Europa League play-off. “Tonight, I saw a really mature performance,” he said.

Bologna couldn’t have asked for a better start in Bergen’s icy weather. Castro caught everyone off guard with a sharp, angled shot that slipped past the keeper just nine minutes in.

They had chances to add more; Orsolini and Dallinga both forced good saves. On the other end, Skorupski had to pull off a tricky double stop when Brann finally threatened.

For Italiano, this felt like a turning point. “We had to adapt; there was no way around it. We knew it’d be tough, so we checked the pitch last night, even in the dark,” he told Sky Sport Italia. When they arrived from Italy on Wednesday, the floodlights weren’t even on for their media duties.

“We couldn’t do much more than that. No sense risking injuries. We got the win, but it’s just a one-goal advantage.”

He’s already looking ahead to the return leg at the Dall’Ara. Hopefully, we do better at home. Honestly, every time we play there lately, it feels like we’re cursed.”

That away win gives Bologna a solid edge heading into Thursday’s second leg.

Things weren’t looking great for them at the start of 2026. Just two wins in fourteen matches – it was rough. Now, after beating Torino 2-1 away in Serie A and tonight’s win, they finally have some momentum.

“These two wins gave us a boost. It’s tough keeping your spirits up when you’re losing all the time and playing every three days. It chips away at the confidence you’ve built up,” Italiano said.

“Tonight, the team played with real maturity. I hope this becomes our standard. Start with the right attitude, and stay focused. We’re not giving up as many chances now, and that’s the difference. We have to keep that up.”

Castro’s on fire too; he’s scored in three straight games and made a point of celebrating with his coach tonight.

“Santi brings something special. He’s hungry. You see it at every training session, every minute he’s on the pitch. He’s even talking football on the bus,” Italiano said.

“It’s a joy to work with young players who are this hungry and willing to help the team. I’m thrilled he’s scoring consistently now.

“He’s so mature for his age. As a centre-forward, he sacrifices a lot for the team off the ball. I always tell him that hard work pays off. Just keep at it.”

Back in November, when these teams faced off in the group stage, it finished 0-0. Bologna had more chances, even with ten men for over an hour. That draw stung; they barely missed out on direct qualification for the Europa League Round of 16.

“We played a tough match against Torino last week because we couldn’t afford another slip-up,” Italiano said.

“These guys showed focus, grit, and a willingness to sacrifice. That's all I want from now until the end of the season. We’ve paid dearly for mistakes and slipped in the Serie A standings, but we can turn things around, especially at home.”

San Siro turned into pure chaos as Massimiliano Allegri and Cesc Fabregas clashed right on the touchline. The match itself, a tense, sometimes ugly 1-1 draw between AC Milan and Como, felt almost secondary to the drama off the pitch. Red cards, physical run-ins, and a tunnel shouting match made it clear: the veteran manager and the ambitious rookie aren’t about to be friends anytime soon.

From the start, the technical area buzzed with tension. As the game wore on, things escalated when Fabregas lost his composure. He got furious that Alexis Saelemaekers avoided a second yellow, so Fabregas actually tried to stop him himself, grabbing his shirt as the Milan winger tried to break forward. That’s pretty much unheard of. Milan’s bench exploded, players and staff piled in, and Allegri ended up seeing red. The whole thing was a mess.

Even after the final whistle, the bad blood lingered. You could feel it in the air. This wasn’t just about tonight; it dated back to their first meeting earlier in the season. But now, everything spilt out in public. Milan dropped more points in the title race, which Allegri tried to play down, but you could see the frustration written all over his face.

The drama didn’t end on the pitch. Both managers bumped into each other in the tunnel, where Allegri, never shy, fired off, “You’re a child who just started coaching.” He brushed off the scuffle as a matter of discipline, not just tempers flaring.

Afterwards, Fabregas faced the press looking pretty shaken. He admitted he crossed a line. “I ask for forgiveness. I did something unsporting, something I’m not proud of. We won the ball, but I touched Saelemaekers out of emotion. Like Chivu said the other day: hands off, especially if you’re the coach. This can’t happen. I hope it never does again.”

Allegri wasn’t in the mood to forgive or forget. Sarcasm dripping, he shot back, “So if someone’s running down the sideline next time, I’ll just slide in too. I was trying to defend my player. Someone from Como came at me; I’m not even sure who, but nothing happened.”

He didn’t let up, either. “When you’re on the pitch, you need to respect the referee and the teams. There was an exchange between coaches, sure, but he’s still very young. I hope he wins a lot in his career; he’s got the talent, but he has a lot to learn.”

Still, in the middle of all this, Fàbregas found a moment to appreciate Milan’s 41-year-old Luka Modrić. “It’s a real joy to watch him play. I congratulated him. What else can you do? He’s a phenomenon, and we’re lucky to have him in Serie A. We tried to press him, get physical, but he just doesn’t care. Two guys, four guys – he always finds a way out. ”talent,