Bologna FC 1909 boosted their hopes of securing European football next season with a dramatic 1-0 victory over relegation-threatened Pisa SC, courtesy of a stunning 90th-minute strike in Serie A.

The contest was slow to ignite, with just a single attempt on goal recorded by the midway point of the first half. But the game burst into life in the 24th minute when Santiago Castro squandered a golden opportunity for the visitors. The Argentine forward muscled past his marker and found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, only to blaze his effort over the bar, much to the frustration of the travelling fans.

That chance sparked Bologna into greater fluency, and they came close again 10 minutes before the interval. Castro was involved once more, meeting a clever through ball from Nikola Moro, but his shot from inside the area rattled the woodwork, allowing Pisa to escape unscathed.

The hosts offered little attacking threat before the break — an unsurprising trend given the Nerazzurri had managed just four goals in their previous 13 home league matches heading into the encounter.

The second half initially lacked quality, unfolding as a scrappy and disjointed affair. However, Pisa carved out a significant chance just after the hour mark when Stefano Moreo rose to meet a cross at close range, forcing a crucial save from Bologna goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski to keep the scores level.

Skorupski was called into action again soon after, producing an excellent fingertip save to divert substitute Gabriele Piccinini’s strike around the post as Pisa pushed forward with increasing urgency.

Yet just as the home supporters sensed an opportunity, their hopes were shattered. In the dying moments, Jens Odgaard unleashed a thunderous 25-yard effort into the top corner, sealing victory at the death for the Rossoblù.

The result leaves Pisa’s battle against relegation looking increasingly bleak, with just one league win and 11 matches remaining. Meanwhile, Bologna have now won five consecutive games in all competitions and climb to eighth in the table, strengthening their push for a European spot.