Bologna forward Roberto Piccoli left the Maradona on Sunday on the wrong end of a 1-0 defeat to Napoli, a result that deepens a difficult opening to the 2026-27 Serie A campaign for Domenico Tedesco's side and raises pointed questions about where the goals are coming from.
The defeat was Bologna's third in four league matches. They sit 16th with a single point, having scored twice and conceded five. For a club that reshaped its attack over the summer — Piccoli arrived from Fiorentina in August as part of that overhaul — the early returns are thin. A goal difference of minus three after just four fixtures is not a crisis in isolation, but the pattern of results gives it weight.
Piccoli himself carries an AI overall of 68 out of 100, with a potential of 75, numbers that describe a forward still in the process of becoming rather than one who has arrived. His Serie A season so far reflects that: one goal from four appearances, with an average rating of 6.81. Functional, but not yet the decisive presence a team in Bologna's position needs.
Stanislav Lobotka's goal proved enough for Napoli, and the margin — narrow as it was — flatters neither side. Tedesco's team created little of note, and a late cameo from Lorenzo Lucca, who drew a sharp reaction from Napoli coach Massimiliano Allegri on the touchline, only underlined the sense that both benches were searching for answers. Allegri, for his part, acknowledged that Lucca's entry had not gone as planned.
The Napoli win was their first of the season at home, which contextualises the result somewhat: Bologna were beaten by a side also finding its footing. That is cold comfort when the table shows one point from four, and when the squad's new forward line has yet to click.
Piccoli turns 26 in January. He has time, and the potential ceiling in his profile suggests the ceiling is real. But Bologna need points now, and the 25-year-old's single goal this season is not enough to carry the weight Tedesco needs him to carry.