Bologna have given their hopes of survival a boost after beating Cagliari 1-0 in their Serie A match this afternoon.

Victor Ibarbo came close for the visitors early on when he drilled a long-range shot wide, before Gabriele Perico saw an effort blocked by Gianluca Curci.

Lazaros Christodoulopoulos almost put Bologna into the lead just before the break when his mishit cross had to be tipped over the bar by Vlada Avramov.

After the break Matias Vecino came close for the hosts with a low effort that forced Curci into a save.

In the 78th minute Bologna were awarded a penalty following Daniele Dessena's foul on Christodoulopoulos, and the Greek midfielder made no mistake in finding the net from the spot.

The visitors ended the match with 10 men after Dessena was sent off, as Bologna held on to move out of the relegation zone.