Sunday’s Serie A action gets underway at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara as top-half high-flyers Bologna entertain runners-up Inter in an exciting match-up. Since both sides have hit a purple patch of late, a spectacular event could be on the cards.
Only runaway Serie A leaders Napoli have bettered Bologna’s 13-point tally across the last six league outings (W4, D1, L1). Thiago Motta’s side bounced back from an underwhelming 1-0 loss to Monza in their most recent home match with a late 2-1 triumph at relegation-threatened Sampdoria last time out.
Despite enjoying a phenomenal spell of form, Bologna still need a miracle to secure a first European finish since 1998/99. The Rossoblu start this round nine points adrift of Atalanta. So unless they launch a substantial winning streak, the Emilia-Romagna outfit will probably have to settle for a first top-half finish in Serie A since 2018/19.
On the other hand, visiting Inter are seemingly on course to claim a sixth consecutive top-four finish. After stitching together a four-game unbeaten league run (W3, D1), including a 3-1 home thumping of Udinese last weekend, Simone Inzaghi’s charges have moved five points clear of fifth-placed Lazio.
Even though they commence this round as runners-up, a staggering 15-point deficit on pacesetters Napoli effectively rules Inter out of the Scudetto race. But, the Nerazzurri can draw confidence from taking a massive stride toward reaching the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2010/11 with a 1-0 first-leg win over Porto on Wednesday.
Romelu Lukaku scored a late winner off the bench to hand Inter a narrow first-leg advantage heading into the return fixture at the Estadio do Dragao. More importantly, that triumph extended his side’s unbeaten run in all competitions to six games (W5, D1), setting them up nicely for this trip.
Preview
Bologna
Following a wasteful 15-game winless home league run against Inter (D3, L12), Bologna ran out 2-1 winners in this corresponding fixture last season. Another success would see the Rossoblu racking up back-to-back home victories over the Nerazzurri in Serie A for the first time in the 21st century, so motivation shouldn’t be in short supply.
Interestingly, three of Bologna’s last four league wins have yielded an identical 2-1 scoreline. However, Motta’s men have recently faltered at Dall’Ara, clocking just one victory in four home matches in Serie A since the calendar year flipped to 2023 (D1, L2). They’ve netted one goal or fewer three times during that four-game sequence.
Player to Watch: Riccardo Orsolini
Riccardo Orsolini scored a last-gasp winner to topple Sampdoria last weekend, as he continues to be an influential figure in Motta’s set-up. The prolific winger has played his part in five of Bologna’s last six league goals, tallying three strikes and two assists.
Inter
Inter slumped to an uneventful scoreless draw at Sampdoria on their most recent Serie A travel and could go back-to-back away league matches without scoring for the first time since April 2018. While it’s hard to expect another scoring blank, the visitors’ second league H2H double in seven seasons is anything but a foregone conclusion.
Inzaghi’s men have performed in patches on the road lately, winning only two of their last five away outings in Serie A (D2, L1). On a more positive note, Inter have only failed to score once at Dall’Ara in the top flight in the 21st century. Moreover, the abovementioned draw at Sampdoria was their first league clean sheet away from home this season.
Player to Watch: Lautaro Martinez
Sunday could be a landmark day for Lautaro Martinez. The Argentine is vying for his 100th victory in Serie A. What better way to celebrate that milestone than scoring his first-ever top-flight goal at Dall’Ara?
Team News
In addition to long-term absentee Marko Arnautovic, Bologna will be without talented forward Joshua Zirkzee and first-choice center-back Kevin Bonifazi.
As for Inter, Dalbert and Joaquin Correa are unavailable for selection due to injury.
Bologna vs Inter Potential Lineups
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Lucasz Skorupski; Andrea Cambiaso, Jhon Lucumi, Joaquin Sosa, Giorgos Kyriakopoulos; Jerdy Schouten, Nicolas Dominguez; Riccardo Orsolini, Lewis Ferguson, Roberto Soriano; Musa Barrow.
Inter (3-5-2): Andre Onana; Milan Skriniar, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Marcelo Brozovic, Federico Dimarco; Romelu Lukaku, Lautaro Martinez.
Bologna vs Inter Prediction
Even though we expect Bologna to give their more esteemed visitors a run for their money, Inter should walk away with three points by a slim margin.
Prediction: Inter Win
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