Santiago Castro’s 10th goal of the season in all competitions proved decisive as Bologna FC 1909 claimed a 1-0 victory over SK Brann in the first leg of their 2025/26 UEFA Europa League play-off in Norway.

With fellow Italian side Inter Milan having struggled in the freezing Scandinavian conditions just a day earlier, Bologna were aware of the need for a positive start. Unlike the goalless draw between these teams during the league phase, this contest sprang to life early.

After just nine minutes, Castro broke the deadlock in emphatic fashion. The Argentine forward opened his Europa League account for the campaign by firing home from the tightest of angles, drilling the ball beyond Mathias Dyngeland and into the bottom corner.

Brann, however, were far from overawed. The hosts had to wait patiently for their first effort on target, but when it came in the 24th minute, it required a stunning intervention from Lukasz Skorupski to preserve Bologna’s advantage. Ulrik Mathisen’s powerful header seemed destined for the net until the Polish goalkeeper produced a remarkable save to claw it away.

That proved to be Skorupski’s only meaningful stop of the first half, much to the frustration of the majority inside Brann Stadion.

Bologna boss Vincenzo Italiano opted for changes at the interval, withdrawing Castro and Federico Bernardeschi in favour of Thijs Dallinga and leading scorer Riccardo Orsolini.

The reshuffle initially handed Brann the initiative after the restart, with Skorupski again called into action to divert Noah Holm’s effort away from goal.

Yet it did not take long for Bologna’s substitutes to assert themselves. Dallinga was denied by a sharp Dyngeland save when he looked poised to double the visitors’ lead, before Orsolini’s snapshot from the edge of the area forced another smart stop moments later.

The duel between Dallinga and Dyngeland continued into the closing stages, with the Norwegian goalkeeper once again standing firm in the 74th minute to keep the deficit at one.

Despite their inability to extend the margin, Bologna left Norway satisfied. The result stretched the Rossoblù’s unbeaten run to eight matches (W5, D3) and handed Italiano’s side a slender but valuable advantage heading into the second leg.

They now stand on the brink of reaching the main knockout stages of a European competition for the first time since the 1998/99 UEFA Cup campaign.