There’s plenty on the line on Tuesday night as Bologna take on Milan in Serie A, with the result impacting not just the two teams involved, but also the wider race for European spots.
Milan are six points behind local rivals Inter ahead of the upcoming fixtures, whilst three points for Bologna would be a huge boost as they hunt a place in Europe.
Bologna have struggled in the league over recent matches, with the home side only managing one win in their last five games. They have suffered three losses in this run, including defeats to Genoa and struggling Fiorentina.
Milan are undefeated in their last five games, but points have dropped as they have been held three times. This has seen Inter gain a clear gap in the title race. The league leaders are looking strong domestically and also in Europe, where they finished 10th in the league phase of the Champions League.
The Nerazzurri are given a 3% chance of winning Europe’s biggest competition according to MyBettingSites’ article, which may sound slim. However, bearing in mind they reached the final last season, defying the odds and causing an upset can’t be completely discounted. Milan will be hoping that the distraction of Europe for Inter can play into Milan’s hands this campaign.
Both sides know there’s plenty on the line, so we should be treated to an enjoyable match.
Match Preview
Bologna
Bologna had a strong start to the season and were battling around fifth until the turn of the year, where their form has massively dropped off. They have one win in ten matches in all competitions and suffered losses to European qualifying rivals like Napoli and Atalanta. They also lost to relegation threatened Fiorentina.
If they want to keep their hopes alive for European qualification, they need to get back to consistent winning ways as soon as possible.
Milan
Milan have only lost once in Serie A so far, yet they still sit in second and are six points behind rivals Inter. This is because they have drawn eight of their 22 matches in the league, whilst Inter have won 17, drawn one and lost four. This upcoming match against Bologna is a must-win for Massimiliano Allegri’s side if they want to keep their title hopes alive.
Team News
There aren’t too many problems to report for either side, but goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski is suspended following his red card in Bologna’s loss to Genoa last week. Defender Jhon Lucumi is still injured and that’s a big blow for the home side.
Meanwhile, Milan only have one injury, with forward Santiago Gimenez still recovering from an ankle injury and not expected to return until mid-February.
Bologna vs Milan Potential Starting Lineups
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Ravaglia, Zortea, Casale, Heggem, Lykogiannis, Freuler, Ferguson, Rowe, Odgaard, Dominguez, Immobile
Milan (3-5-2): Maignan, Tomori, Gabbia, De Winter, Saelemaekers, Ricci, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi, Leao, Nkunku
Bologna vs Milan Prediction
There should be goals with so much on the line, and the likes of Rafael Leao will be key for the Rossoneri.
Milan are definitely favourites and we are backing the away side to pick up a win on the 3rd February. The fact that they have only lost once this season emphasises how tough they are to beat, whilst they are facing Bologna at a good time based on recent form.