Bologna 2-1 Udinese

Bologna closed to within two points of Udinese as their opponents' miserable away form continued.

The Bianconeri went into the game at the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium looking for their first victory on their travels this season but it was not to be.

Adailton opened the scoring for the hosts in the 27th minute and Marco Di Vaio won the match with a 65th-minute penalty after the prolific Antonio Di Natale had equalised just before half-time.

The result lifts Bologna up to 15th in the table, four points above the relegation zone and only one place below Udinese.

The visitors began well, creating three openings in the first four minutes. The best chance came after Antonio Floro Flores saw his 25-yard shot cleared as far as Kwadwo Asamoah, who was off target with his effort.

Di Vaio, who struck 24 goals last season but had managed only three this term before today, then saw his volley blocked by Maurizio Domizzi after the striker had been played in by Marcelo Zalayeta.

Di Natale, on the other hand, has had no such problems, netting 10 times already to move to the top of the Serie A scoring charts.

And he fired in a shot on goal in the 18th minute after a decent turn but it was straight at keeper Emiliano Viviano, who saved comfortably.

Nine minutes later the hosts were ahead thanks to a brilliant free-kick from Adailton. The forward struck his shot with far too much pace and swerve for Udinese keeper Samir Handanovic.

Zalayeta then looked to pick out Di Vaio in front of goal but this time Handanovic was alert and he raced off his line to block.

Di Natale was taking the fight to Bologna almost single-handed and he cut in from the left before firing in a shot from a narrow angle that Viviano did well to keep out.

And the Udinese striker was not to be denied in first-half injury time. Mauricio Isla found Di Natale with a well-timed pass and the forward ran into the area before easily beating Viviano.

Di Natale had a great chance to put the visitors ahead just after the break when he was played in by Floro Flores but this time he showed too much of the ball to the keeper.

Udinese were on top by now and, after Floro Flores had been denied by Viviano, Di Natale looked to have a simple task of tapping in the rebound but amazingly he missed the target.

And they were made to pay in the 65th minute as a Bologna counter-attack ended with Domizzi felling Di Vaio in the area. The striker picked himself up and made no mistake with the spot-kick.

Zalayeta nearly made it 3-1 but his shot was just off target after he had been found by Di Vaio.

The penalty seemed to have knocked the stuffing out of Udinese and it was the hosts who had the final chance of the game but Di Vaio could not get the better of defender Andrea Coda.