Bologna return to UEFA Champions League action on Wednesday with a heavyweight clash against Premier League titans Liverpool. Anfield isn’t a place where you want to look for your first European win in over two decades, but Vincenzo Italiano’s side will unlikely shy away from the challenge.
Lukasz Skorupski soaked up the limelight as Bologna hero in their opening-day home clash against Shakhtar Donetsk. The Polish goalkeeper thwarted Georgiy Sudakov’s fourth-minute penalty to rescue a point for his side in an uneventful 0-0 draw at Renato Dall’Ara.
Stalemates have been a common theme for Bologna during Italiano’s early tenure. They’ve drawn five of their seven outings across all competitions this season (W1, L1), most recently dropping two points in an ill-tempered Serie A clash against Atalanta on Sunday.
Indeed, Lazar Samardzic’s 90th-minute stunner canceled out Santiago Castro’s second-half deadlock-breaker to deny Bologna their first home victory under the former Fiorentina manager. Their only win this season came on the road, as they squeaked past Monza 2-1 a week ago.
That could instill some confidence in the visiting camp ahead of a ‘David vs Goliath’ showdown against Liverpool. Unfazed by a shock 1-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest, the Reds have maintained their near-faultless start under Arne Slot (W7, L1) with four successive wins in all competitions.
Bologna’s domestic rivals Milan were on the receiving end of Liverpool’s wrath on the maiden Champions League matchday. Despite Christian Pulisic’s early strike, the Merseyside giants pulled off a 3-1 triumph at Stadio San Siro to get their European adventure off to a flyer.
Match Preview
Liverpool
Slot’s charges have been relentless since that victorious night in Lombardy, winning three consecutive domestic fixtures by an aggregate score of 10-2. A hard-earned 2-1 win at Wolverhampton last weekend fired Liverpool to the top of the Premier League table, testifying to their supreme run under the Dutch tactician.
It was also their only competitive triumph this season that didn’t come via a multi-goal margin. Except for the abovementioned slump against Forest, they’ve been formidable at Anfield, winning all three remaining home matches this term, including the last two by 3+ goal margins.
Though it makes them odds-on favorites to pour more misery on Bologna, Liverpool would be naive to underestimate this task. They’ve notoriously struggled against Italian visitors at Anfield, losing three of their last five such encounters (W2), including a 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in the 2023/24 Europa League quarter-finals.
Bologna
Given the circumstances, Bologna probably wouldn’t mind living up to their ‘stalemate specialists’ tag on Wednesday. Last season’s fifth-place finish in Serie A gave them an opportunity to compete at Europe’s top table for the first time in over 60 years. However, this doesn’t look like a winnable task.
That said, Bologna boast a positive historic record against English clubs in European football (W3, D1, L2). Those six matches produced 17 goals at an average of 2.5 per game, highlighting the potential for an action-packed duel. Adding to this sentiment, five of their seven outings this season have seen both teams on the scoresheet.
While they can realistically hope to score, given their well-documented attacking prowess, it’s hard to expect Bologna to upset the apple cart in England. Defensive problems could prove the detriment of their high aspirations, as they’ve conceded at least two goals on three of their last four competitive travels.
Team News
Liverpool cannot call upon the services of young playmaker Harvey Elliott due to a foot fracture. However, Darwin Nunez could make the matchday squad after overcoming illness that kept him on the sidelines for Saturday’s trip to Molineux.
As for Bologna, Lewis Ferguson, Tommaso Pobega, and Nicolo Cambiaghi are in no condition to appear. Nicolo Casale and Oussama El Azzouzi could start on the bench, though the latter would unlikely take the field after nursing a nasty knee injury for months.
Liverpool vs Bologna Potential Line-ups
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Kostas Tsimikas; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo; Darwin Nunez.
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Lukasz Skorupski; Stefan Posch, Sam Beukema, Jhon Lucumi, Charalampos Lykogiannis; Michel Aebischer, Nikola Moro, Remo Freuler; Riccardo Orsolini, Thijs Dallinga, Dan Ndoye.
Liverpool vs Bologna Prediction
Bologna won’t go down without a fight, but a defeat looks inevitable. Damage control should be at the forefront of Italiano’s mind, as goal difference could be crucial in the battle for knockout qualification
Prediction: Liverpool to Win
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