An in-form Bologna will welcome Inter Milan to Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in the early Serie A kick-off on Sunday.
Coppa Italia holders Inter Milan will travel to Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on Sunday to take on an in-form Bologna side as they aim to get their flagging Serie A title charge back on track.
Simone Inzaghi’s men have oscillated between the excellent and the ridiculous this season, struggling for consistency all campaign. While the Nerazzurri occupy the second spot in the table, they are a mammoth 15 points off pace setters SC Napoli.
Unless the Partenopei see their form drop off a cliff, Inter will be hard-pressed to keep up. The Nerazzurri are, however, still alive in the UEFA Champions League and the Coppa Italia, two competitions with a better chance of success.
With AS Roma and AC Milan on their heels, Inter will be keen to consolidate their hold on the second spot. While they do enjoy a good record against Bologna of late, the home side have started the year well and have picked up as many points as Inter over the last six games.
This has seen them climb up to the eighth spot, level on points with Juventus. Should they continue in the same vein, they could even challenge Atalanta for the coveted sixth spot and the gateway into Europe. A win against Inter will certainly provide them with the boost to end the campaign strongly.
Bologna will face off against Lazio, AC Milan and Atalanta in the coming weeks in what should be a testing run of fixtures for Thiago Motta’s side. Whether Inter will put them in their place or become the latest domino to fall in I Rossoblu’s wake remains to be seen.
Either way, it should be a competitive game between two sides in good nick at the moment. The Hard Tackle looks at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Bologna
Stepping up our prep 💪#BolognaInter #WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/x9s5X9jj3X
— Bologna FC 1909 (@BolognaFC1909en) February 24, 2023
Thiago Motta’s side have transformed their fortunes since the turn of the year, picking up 13 points out of a maximum of 18 in recent games. This has seen them put an appreciable gap between them and the relegation zone. But they are also poised to knock at the doors of the top six.
The upcoming set of games will certainly test their credentials as party crashers, with Inter posing the first question. Bologna will take to the field sans two stars Stefan Posch and Marko Arnautovic, both of who are nursing knocks.
The home side are likely to set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation on Sunday. Lukasz Skorupski should start in goal behind the back four of Andrea Cambiaso, Jhon Lucumi, Joaquin Sosa and Giorgos Kyriakopoulos forming the backline.
Jerdy Schouten and Nicolas Dominguez look set to form the double pivot, preventing Inter’s ability to dictate play from deep. The duo will be in charge of keeping Marcelo Brozovic and Hakan Calhanoglu quiet, repressing Inter’s ability to build from the back.
The trio of Riccardo Orsolini, Lewis Ferguson and Roberto Soriano will be tasked with crafting opportunities for Musa Barrow upfront. Seizing control of the midfield early on could very well pave the way for Bologna to spring a surprise. Motta will have to get his tactics right against his former side. As long as Bologna keep up their momentum, they could be in for a reason to remember.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Skorupski; Cambiaso, Lucumi, Sosa, Kyriakopoulos; Schouten, Dominguez; Orsolini, Ferguson, Soriano; Barrow
Inter Milan
The Nerazzurri come into the game on the back of a 1-0 win over FC Porto in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie. The chances that Simone Inzaghi’s men can go all the way in the competition are remote.
With other teams breathing down their neck, all eyes will now turn to take control of the second spot in Serie A. Inzaghi has a fully-fit squad to choose from and looks likely to bring back Romelu Lukaku and Marcelo Brozovic to the starting lineup.
The former came off the bench to make an impact at Porto but is yet to hit his stride in his second coming at the Giuseppe Meazza. Having an in-form Lukaku who is firing on all cylinders could make a world of difference to Inter and their ambitions for the remainder of the campaign.
🔜 #BolognaInter ⚫🔵 pic.twitter.com/sMPTyzulXX
— Inter (@Inter_en) February 24, 2023
Inzaghi has stuck to his trademark 3-5-2 formation through thick and thin. The chances of him deviating now seem remote. Andre Onana should start in goal behind the back three of Milan Skriniar, Francesco Acerbu and Alessandro Bastoni.
Denzel Dumfries and Federico Dimarco should start as the full-backs with Brozovic back in his holding midfield role. This should free up Hakan Calhanoglu to push forward with Nicolo Barella in unison. Lautaro Martinez is set to keep his spot upfront, with Lukaku replacing Edin Dzeko in the first XI.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Onana; Skriniar, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Brozovic; Dimarco; Lukaku, Martinez
Key Stats
- Bologna and Inter Milan have not played out a draw in their last ten Serie A games. The last time both sides settled for a stalemate was in 2017.
- Bologna have now gone seven Serie A games without keeping a clean sheet vs Inter Milan.
- A win on the night will see Bologna pick up successive wins against Inter Milan in the Serie A for the first time since 1999.
- Bologna and Inter Milan have picked up 13 points in their last six Serie A games, only behind Napoli who picked up all 18 points in the same timeframe.
- Another shutout on the night will see Inter Milan go successive Serie A games without scoring for the first time since 2018.
Player to Watch
Romelu Lukaku
The Belgian international was the MVP when Inter last won the title. His second coming to the Giuseppe Merazza has not gone according to plan with injuries and a loss of form impacting his performances adversely.
His goalscoring cameo off the bench against FC Porto could prove to be the catalyst for a change in fortunes. Lukaku is expected to return to the lineup and re-forge the partnership with Lautaro Martinez. Blessed with pace, power and an eye for goal, the 29-year-old could be about to remind everyone just how decisive he can be.
Having Lukaku scoring and back to form is good news for Simone Inzaghi ahead of the business end of the season. Scoring against Bologna will certainly raise expectations around the Belgian. It might also attract suitors like Tottenham.
Prediction
Bologna 1-2 Inter Milan
Both teams are in good form and should fancy their chances going into the game. Inter, however, have the better side on paper and have genuine match-winners within their roster. This difference in quality could prove to be the telling point in what could be a win for the visitors. The Hard Tackle thus predicts a 2-1 victory for Simone Inzaghi’s men.
