After losing three consecutive Bundesliga games, an under-pressure Nuri Şahin was initially relieved to see his Borussia Dortmund bring their UCL form to the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, as the German team dominated the opening period.
Łukasz Skorupski had already been called into action to turn away a Pascal Groß free-kick, when the Polish stopper came close to saving a 12th-minute penalty.
Referee Serdar Gözübüyük pointed to the spot when Emil Holm dragged Waldemar Anton to the ground inside the box, with Serhou Guirassy’s nonchalant panenka penalty almost back-firing, but despite diving the correct way, Skorupski failed to get the required contact on the ball to deny the Guinea international.
Bologna’s delight at being in the UCL this season has continually bounced against the harsh realities of life at the top table of European football, but the Italian side responded well to going behind, as they went in search of what would be just their second goal in this season’s competition.
Julien Duranville had to be at his defensive best to make a last-ditch interception to cut out the danger caused by a teasing Riccardo Orsolini cross, and Bologna’s attacking talisman was threatening again when he rasped in a volley that had to be excellently saved by BVB goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
A distraught Orsolini was forced off injured 10 minutes before the HT break, but the home side continued their resurgence in the second half but for a long time they failed to truly test Kobel in the away goal.
However, energy and persistence would conquer BVB’s defence, as Bologna turned the game on its head in the space of two minutes.
Firstly, Thijs Dallinga slotted home from close range after an inch-perfect Jens Odgaard cross, before substitute Samuel Iling-Junior was quickest to react when Kobel saved Odgaard’s shot, and the Englishman scored the goal that earned a historic win for the home side.
The shell-shocked away side never looked like mounting a comeback, and Bologna cruised through the final 10 minutes on their way to a momentous victory that keeps their slim hopes of qualification alive.
As Dortmund slumped to a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions, it was a result in Northern Italy that heaped pressure on Nuri Şahin, on a night that started so well.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Dan Ndoye (Bologna)