Stadio Renato Dall’Ara kinds the backdrop for a high-stakes Serie A encounter between top-four hopefuls Bologna and title-bidding Napoli. Each groups will probably be out to place three treasured factors on the board and get nearer to reaching their seasonal objectives.
It shapes as much as be a historic season finale for Bologna. Firmly in rivalry for a primary main trophy since 1974 following a thumping 3-0 win at Empoli within the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final tie, Vincenzo Italiano’s expenses chase extra historical past in Serie A.
Final season’s fifth-place end warranted a long-awaited Champions League qualification, placing this Bologna group getting ready to membership historical past. Certainly, the Rossoblu may lock down a spot at Europe’s prime desk in back-to-back campaigns for the primary time.
Juventus’ away draw at Roma final evening places Bologna in an ideal place to open a three-point hole in fourth. Nonetheless, that may very well be a formidable proposition as they meet second-placed Napoli. Like their hosts, Antonio Conte’s males obtained a major enhance in the course of the weekend.
Inter dropped two factors at Parma on Saturday, permitting the Partenopei to maneuver inside a one-point distance with a win in Emilia-Romagna. Napoli should seize this chance to blow the Scudetto race huge open once more. Something apart from a win would seemingly spell the top for his or her title hopes.
Match Preview
Bologna
With simply eight rounds left within the Serie A season and all groups from second to seventh dealing with off towards one another this matchday, a serious shake-up within the standings appeared inevitable. Bologna will take the sphere in excessive spirits, boasting the joint-longest ongoing successful streak on residence turf in Serie A (W5).
It’s additionally price mentioning that two wins in that sequence got here towards fellow European hopefuls, together with a 5-0 demolition of Lazio final day trip. Dall’Ara has been a fortress, with the Rossoblu solely struggling one residence league loss this season (W9, D5), courtesy of a stunning 3-2 defeat to relegation-battling Hellas Verona in December.
Bologna’s rip-roaring residence kind ought to enhance Italiano’s quest to enhance his dismal 33% win charge towards Napoli as a supervisor (W4, D2, L6) and avenge a humiliating 3-0 loss in August’s reverse fixture at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Nonetheless, the current historical past of this match-up closely favors the Partenopei.
Napoli
Apart from a 2-0 residence loss in 2023/24, Napoli have averted defeat in 9 of their final ten league conferences with Bologna (W6, D3). Moreover, their most up-to-date droop at Dall’Ara dates again to Could 2019, highlighting their dominance on this fixture, significantly on the street. That robust H2H file may present a well timed enhance as Napoli look to remain within the title race.
It’s secure to say that Bologna are amongst Conte’s favourite opposition, contemplating the trophy-laden supervisor boasts an excellent touchline file towards the Rossoblu (W8, D4, L1), beating them seven occasions within the final eight duels (L1). That’s encouraging as his expenses hope to bounce again from a rotten spell on the street.
A scoreless draw at Venezia on their final Serie A journey prolonged Napoli’s winless away run to 4 video games (D3, L1). Furthermore, the guests’ incapability to show attracts into victories away to groups beginning this spherical within the prime seven (W1, D4) may very well be Napoli’s undoing this time period, with 4 of these matches seeing each groups on the scoresheet.
Looking for good omens, Napoli haven’t misplaced any of their final eight Monday-held Serie A matches (W5, D3).
Workforce Information
Regardless of shedding ex-Milan captain Davide Calabria to an ankle sprain towards Empoli, Bologna can name upon Emil Holm to fill the emptiness at right-back. In any other case, Italiano doesn’t have every other damage issues, with Riccardo Orsolini and Santiago Castro again to full health.
Then again, Napoli will take this journey with out star midfielder Stanislav Lobotka and left wingback Leonardo Spinazzola. Their absences may even see Billy Gilmour and Mathias Olivera by way of for choice. Regardless of an underwhelming displaying in a 2-1 win against Milan final weekend, David Neres ought to begin on the wing.
Bologna vs Napoli Potential Beginning Line-ups
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Holm, Beukema, Lucumi, Miranda; Freuler, Ferguson; Orsolini, Odgaard, Ndoye; Castro.
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Lukaku, Neres.
Bologna vs Napoli Prediction
This fixture has a share of the spoils written throughout it, although a degree wouldn’t carry a lot to both aspect.
Prediction: Draw
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