Super Eagles forward Gift Orban continued his fine scoring form in Serie A, delivering another strong performance despite Hellas Verona suffering a narrow home defeat to Bologna on Thursday night.

The Nigerian striker opened the scoring and later played a role in Verona’s second goal, but his efforts were not enough as the hosts fell 3–2 in their Round of 16 clash at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi, Footballrover reports.

Gift Orban Delivers Early Impact for Verona

Gift Orban wasted no time in making his presence felt, breaking the deadlock just 13 minutes into the contest.

Verona launched a swift counter-attack, and the 23-year-old forward finished it off in style with a powerful strike from just outside the box.

The shot flew past the Bologna goalkeeper into the right corner of the net.

That goal marked his second of the new year and his seventh goal contribution of the season — six goals and one assist — in his 13th league start.

Bologna Rally as Verona’s Struggles Continue

Verona’s early advantage did not last long. Eight minutes after conceding, Riccardo Orsolini brought Bologna level with a well-taken finish.

Moments later, Jens Odgaard completed the turnaround, picking up the ball at the edge of the penalty area and curling a superb shot into the left corner to make it 2–1 for the visitors.

Bologna extended their lead just before half-time when Santiago Castro fired a stunning long-range effort into the top-left corner, sending the visitors into the break with a 3–1 advantage.

In the 71st minute, Gift Orban was involved again as his cross caused confusion in the Bologna defence, forcing Remo Freuler to turn the ball into his own net to reduce the deficit to 3–2.

However, Verona could not find an equaliser, and the match ended in defeat for the home side.

The loss leaves Hellaa Verona bottom of the table with 13 points, marking their fourth defeat in five matches and second in a row.

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Last Updated on January 16, 2026 11:05 am by footballrover