Serie A | Gameweek 16

Dec 15, 2024 at 2pm UK

Stadio Renato Dall'Ara

Bolognavs.Fiorentina

Match preview

Despite picking up just their second point of the league phase on Wednesday night, holding in-form Benfica to a goalless draw in Lisbon, Bologna's slim hopes of prolonging their debut season in the Champions League were effectively extinguished.

The Rossoblu sit fourth from bottom with two games remaining, having scored just one goal so far - and are the only team yet to find the back of the net from open play.

On the domestic front, Bologna have shown signs of improvement of late, climbing to eighth place in Serie A and reaching the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia.

Last week, however, the Emilian giants let a two-goal lead slip against a Juventus side led by their former boss Thiago Motta, who was sent off, before the Bianconeri fought back to earn a 2-2 draw in Turin. Goals from Dan Ndoye and Tommaso Pobega had put the visitors in control, but they eventually conceded an equaliser in second-half stoppage time.

After two tough away games, Bologna return to the Stadio Dall'Ara, where they have lost just one of their last 24 league games and are one of only four teams, along with Lazio, Juventus and Fiorentina, to remain unbeaten at home this season.

Head coach Vincenzo Italiano took over from Motta in the summer and, despite some early stumbles, his side's tally of 22 points is exactly the same as this time last year.

With Italiano at the helm, Fiorentina lost three of their last four Serie A games against Bologna after going unbeaten in the previous 16.

However, they will travel to the Dall'Ara expecting to end that run, having won their last eight league games to equal a 64-year-old club record.

Under Italiano's successor Raffaele Palladino, the Tuscans have amassed more than 30 points at this stage of the season for the first time this century.

Not only have Fiorentina become more ruthless, with Moise Kean in the best form of his career up front, but they have also tended to hold on to any advantage they have, remaining the only team in Europe's top five not to concede in the final half-hour.

There have been a few setbacks along the way - a shock defeat to Pafos in Europe and a Coppa Italia exit at the hands of local rivals Empoli - but they warmed up for Sunday's game with a seven-goal thrashing of LASK Linz to move up to fourth in the Conference.

It followed a much closer 1-0 win over Cagliari last week, which left them three points clear of most of their potential title rivals with a game in hand.

Recent Performance

Bologna Serie A form:WWWLWD

Bologna form (all competitions):LLWWDD

Fiorentina Serie A form:WWWWWW

Fiorentina form (all competitions):WWWLWW

Team News

Bologna's top scorer Riccardo Orsolini heads a heavy injury list for the hosts this weekend, as he joins Michel Aebischer, Juan Miranda and long-term absentees Nicolo Cambiaghi and Oussama El Azzouzi on the sidelines, while Stefan Posch is a doubt with a calf strain.

In better news for Vincenzo Italiano, Miranda's fellow left-back Charalampos Lykogiannis is back in full training after missing the trip to Portugal with a muscle problem.

After Thijs Dallinga's poor performance against Benfica earned him some post-match criticism from his manager, 20-year-old striker Santiago Castro, recently linked with a move to the Premier League, is expected to lead the Rossoblu attack.

Remo Freuler, third in the league in terms of passes completed this season, should make his 250th Serie A appearance in central midfield.

Meanwhile, Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino has gone further than his Italian counterpart in terms of midweek rotations, with a number of familiar faces likely to be recalled.

It remains to be seen whether Riccardo Sottil can retain his place after scoring twice on Thursday night, but regular starters such as Dodo, Robin Gosens and David de Gea should all return.

The visitors have almost everyone available, with the exception of Edoardo Bove, who is still recovering from his cardiac arrest in the last game against Inter, which was abandoned.

Possible starting lineup

Bologna possible starting lineup:

Skorupski; Holm, Beukema, Lucumi, Lykogiannis; Freuler, Pobega; Ndoye, Odgaard, Dominguez; Castro

Fiorentina possible starting lineup:

De Gea; Dodo, Comuzzo, Ranieri, Gosens; Cataldi, Adli; Colpani, Beltran, Sottil; Kean