Welcome to Calcio Square, an email newsletter dedicated to Serie A and Italian football. Every Monday, I cover the biggest talking points from the weekend of action. Today's issues checks in on Bologna after a tumultuous few months.

It was easy to dismiss Bologna's chances at the start of the season. They had just lost their lost coach, sold two of their most important players, and bet on a number of youngster to fill in the gaps. They had their first-ever Champions League campaign ahead of them and new expectations to meet.

The Champions League ended up coming a little too early for a team undergoing a rebuild literal months after achieving an historic fifth-place finish. Bologna failed to win any of their first six Champions League matches, virtually eliminating them from knockout phase contention.

But their season isn't over. If anything, it's just beginning.

Bologna jumped ahead of AC Milan and into seventh position after dealing Fiorentina their first loss since September. The 1-0 win extended Bologna's unbeaten streak to five matches. That run includes a 2-2 draw with Juventus that Bologna really should've turned into victory.

Head coach Vincenzo Italiano has trusted his 20-somethings to turn the situation around. There's a lot to like about Benja Dominguez, the tricky Argentinian winger Bologna signed for just €4 million. Jens Odgaard arrived for the same amount and scored the winner against Fiorentina. But Santiago Castro is their star in the making. He's the one who can make Bologna dream again.

The 20-year-old is an all-action forward who's just as comfortable laying on assists as he is scoring goals. He popped up everywhere against Fiorentina, flinging passes from deep, infiltrating space, and causing all sorts of havoc in and around the penalty area.

They also have Lewis Ferguson back in midfield. Bologna missed his ruggedness. The fact they have 25 points after 15 matches — as many as they had at the same point last campaign — bodes well for a side hitting its stride at exactly the right time.

Key observations 👀

Developing storylines that deserve your attention.

AC Milan's 125th anniversary celebration turns sour. Gerry Cardinale, the club's absentee president who makes more appearances at economics summits than he does at games, was nowhere to be seen for this special occasion. Management once again had nothing to say about the club's fall to eight place. Paulo Fonseca had angered the fans by airing his dirty laundry in the press and failed to get a reaction out of his players. So the team celebrated the only way it could in this particular moment: by disappointing its fans Sunday during a goalless draw with Genoa.
Monza aren't changing a thing. Monza have resisted the temptation to fire head coach Alessandro Nesta despite winning just once in 16 Serie A games. There are certainly extenuating circumstances here. Monza have suffered from a ton of injuries, and even though they're in 19th place, they've been competitive in every game they've played. Six of their eight defeats were decided by a single goal. The margins are tight enough to turn things around.
A real Hollywood ending for Como. Celebrity actors Michael Fassbender, Adrien Brody, and Keira Knightley watched as a storybook ending unfolded in Como's 2-0 win over Roma. Forward Alessandro Gabrielloni's first-ever Serie A goal in the 93rd minute crowned an incredible journey from the depths of the fourth division to the Italian top flight. It's great to watch such an organic story play out at a club that many may accuse of being made of tinsel. There's heart in this Como side. Captain Patrick Cutrone, who set up Gabrielloni's goal, is from the area and celebrates every moment as if it's his last.

Parting shot 💥

Final remarks about the current state of Serie A and Italian football.

It sucks having games on Fridays and Mondays. They're either too early to notice or too late to care about. We have enough games to watch as it is, and spacing them out in a linear pattern makes it harder to get excited for the next one. This steady drumbeat of matches only serves broadcasters, giving them more scheduled programming than ever before.

Not long ago, you could watch all the games at once and see all the goals as they happen. It's no longer possible with only two or three games ever scheduled at the same time. Games that shouldn't get primetime treatment end up under the lights, and big encounters get buried on Mondays. Inter's game against Lazio should've been played on Saturday or Sunday night. Are we really going to wait until the start of the work week to watch more title clashes?

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