Bologna squandered a crucial opportunity to narrow the gap on Italian league leaders after suffering a 3-1 home defeat to struggling Cremonese on Monday, halting their three-game winning streak.
The unexpected loss prevented Bologna from rising to within one point of the Serie A top spot. It instead pushed them down to sixth place in the standings.
The victory marked a significant turnaround for Cremonese, who snapped a three-match losing streak with the upset win. Veteran English striker Jamie Vardy was decisive, scoring twice for the visitors.
Argentine midfielder Martin Payero opened the scoring for Cremonese in the 31st minute. Vardy then extended their lead with his first goal in the 34th minute.
Riccardo Orsolini converted a penalty for Bologna in stoppage time of the first half, reducing the deficit to 2-1. However, Vardy secured his brace and the victory for Cremonese with another goal in the 50th minute.
Having previously enjoyed three consecutive victories, Bologna now sits four points adrift of co-leaders AC Milan and Napoli. They are also three points behind third-placed Inter Milan and fourth-placed AS Roma.
Cremonese climbed to 11th position in the league table with 17 points following their road win in a match that closed the 13th round of the Italian league.