Trieste claimed their first victory of the Serie A campaign with a 33-25 win over fourth-placed Bolzano on Wednesday evening. The result breaks a run of four draws for the home side, who had not managed to convert any of those stalemates into points. Bolzano, who had been undefeated through four matches, saw their perfect record come to an end.
The hosts started brighter and took control early on. By the twentieth minute they were already ahead, a lead they maintained throughout the first half. Bolzano's visitors pressed high up the pitch, but Trieste's defence held firm and gave away too many cheap fouls in the process. The away end never stopped, yet they could not find the breakthrough they needed.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Trieste extended their advantage with goals from three different scorers, while Bolzano's response was limited to a single reply. The visitors ran out of legs as the match progressed, and one mistake ends it when they failed to track back on a counter-attack. Trieste sealed the victory with two late goals to push the margin beyond doubt.
Statistics tell only part of the story. Trieste recorded 52 per cent possession and 28 shots, but the away side registered 24 attempts against 22 expected goals. Many shots with one goal means chances went begging for Bolzano, who gifted the goal away at key moments. The hosts kept a clean sheet in the final twenty minutes, which proved decisive.
The result moves Trieste off the bottom of the table, though they remain winless in league play. Bolzano drop to second place with six points from four games, a gap of two points to the leaders. The history between them adds an edge to future meetings, and there is unrest in the dressing room at Bolzano after such a performance.
