Bologna and Sampdoria had to settle for a point each after a dramatic final few minutes at the Stadio Renato Della Ara.

The game looked destined to end in a goalless draw until Daniele Gastaldello grabbed what seemed certain to be the winner for the visitors after 86 minutes.

But Bologna hit back to snatch an equaliser in the second minute of added time when Andrea Raggi fired in from close range after a scramble in the area.

Sampdoria had strolled to a 4-1 victory in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, thanks to four goals in the opening 33 minutes.

That came as Bologna managed just one win from their opening nine Serie A games, but things have improved markedly since then and, after back-to-back wins against Genoa and Napoli, Bologna began the day a comfortable 11 points above the relegation zone.

It was the visitors who created the first chance however, Franco Semioli's cross after three minutes finding Nicola Pozzi in the box, but the striker missed his kick from a few yards out.

Six minutes later Bologna's Martins Adailton saw his shot hit the bar but the flag had already been raised for an offside against the striker.

It was an unwelcome case of deja vu after 13 minutes when the home side rattled the woodwork for a second time in the game.

This time it was Marcelo Zalayeta who struck the frame of the goal, only to again see an offside flag raised.

Bologna were making all the running now and after 23 minutes Adailton's deflected header from a corner had to be cleared by Semioli.

The two players who had hit the woodwork, Zalayeta and Adailton, then combined to create another chance for the home side, Zalayeta and Antonio Busce setting up Adailton who fired wide from a narrow angle on the left of the area.

Adailton was then denied the opening goal when Marco Storari saved his close-range header and the first half ended goalless.

Samp finally roused themselves at the start of the second period and Gastaldello's header from 15 yards was saved well by Emiliano Viviano.

At the other end Busce brought another save from Storari with a 20-yard drive, while Samp were reduced to long-range efforts from substitute Daniele Mannini.

However, just when the game looked set to end in a stalemate, the visitors took the lead after 86 minutes when Reto Ziegler's cross from the left was steered home by Gastaldello.

And there was still time for more drama as the home side grabbed an equaliser which was the least they deserved.

Samp were unable to clear the ball after a scramble in the area and it broke to an unmarked Raggi to fire home with his left foot.