Serie A rivals Bologna and Roma go meet for the fourth and final time this season for Stadio Dall’Ara on Saturday evening. After each side post one win and one draw from three contests so far, the pair dey reunite with Roma still chasing Champions League football.
While Roma still get hope of finishing inside Italy’s top four, Bologna boss Vincenzo Italiano even admit say im club campaign essentially over following last week’s 2-0 defeat to Juventus. Still smarting from being dumped out of the Europa League a few days earlier, the Rossoblu’s jaded display in Turin no be surprise.
Already out of the Coppa Italia, last year domestic cup winners dey trail far behind Serie A top six with just five rounds remaining, and dem look set to miss out on European qualification. Victory this week go pull dem within seven points of sixth-placed Roma, keeping the door slightly ajar, but Bologna don lose six of eight league fixtures played at the Dall’Ara this calendar year.
Remarkably, that already represent one more home defeat than dem suffer throughout 2024 and 2025 combined, summing up why the Emilian club dey currently languish for mid-table. Still, before Saturday game, fans of the Rossoblu fit reflect on dem recent Europa League victory over Roma, which finish 5-4 on aggregate after a thrilling second leg at Stadio Olimpico.
The first leg of that tie don finish 1-1, while Roma prevail for the most recent Serie A meeting – a 1-0 home win last August. As a result, the Giallorossi fit now complete a league double over dem Rossoblu rivals for the first time since 2020 – and that go keep fading Champions League dreams alive.
Desperate to claim a seat for Europe top table after a seven-year wait, Gian Piero Gasperini side sit sixth for the table, now five points behind fourth-placed Juventus with just five games to go; big-spending Como also dey for contention. Last week 1-1 home draw against Atalanta serve another blow to the capital club, who don dey struggle to keep dem internal power struggles private for recent weeks.
A war of words between Gasperini and much-loved director Claudio Ranieri don prove an unwelcome distraction, and the latter just don get forced out as a result. Roma don lose dem last three top-flight away fixtures, and over the last dozen matchdays dem go only rank 14th, so pressure go begin to build if dem fail again for Emilia-Romagna.
Bologna still dey miss first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski, plus centre-back Nicolo Casale and Dutch striker Thijs Dallinga, while Federico Bernardeschi don suffer a muscular injury and fit be sidelined for the next fortnight. The latter absence go see top scorer Riccardo Orsolini retain im place: the Italy winger score for im last home game, finally ending a nine-match Serie A drought at the Dall’Ara, and don previously net two league goals against Roma.
Skorupski deputy Federico Ravaglia no so certain of selection, with 18-year-old Massimo Pessina being highly rated inside the club. Meanwhile, Roma last line of defence known beyond any doubt. Since the start of last season, Mile Svilar don play all of the Giallorossi 71 Serie A matches and get the highest save rate (77%) for Italy top flight.
Gasperini fit welcome back Brazilian wing-back Wesley this weekend, while Paulo Dybala fit also be ready to return from im latest layoff. However, injured midfielders Lorenzo Pellegrini and Manu Kone must miss out again, alongside stricken strikers Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson. With Dybala still seeking fitness and other options unavailable, Donyell Malen go continue to lead the line, having rack up 10 goals for 13 league appearances since signing midway through January.
Bologna possible starting lineup: Ravaglia; Mario, Lucumi, Vitik, Miranda; Ferguson, Freuler, Pobega; Orsolini, Castro, Rowe. Roma possible starting lineup: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, Pisilli, Wesley; Soule, El Shaarawy; Malen.
Not only is Bologna home record quite abysmal, but Champions League-chasing Roma go get more motivation than dem fatigued hosts. Almost out of the running for Europe, the Rossoblu don play two extra games since these sides meet last month, and that mental and physical fatigue go surely tell.
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