Bologna will host Inter Milan at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on Sunday, looking to bounce back from the disappointing defeat against Atalanta.
Bologna are chasing UEFA Champions League qualification, and they will look to pick up a positive result at home vs Inter Milan on Sunday evening. The Rossoblu were in impressive form prior to the defeat against Atalanta, and it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly.
On the other hand, Inter Milan are cruising to the Serie A title, and they will want to extend the gap over their rivals with a win this weekend. The Nerazzurri are the best team in the division, and they will certainly fancy their chances of getting a good result here.
Simone Inzaghi’s men managed to eliminate Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, and that will have given them a huge confidence boost. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Bologna
Vincenzo Italiano will be without Lewis Ferguson, who is sidelined with ACL damage. Nicolo Casale has been ruled out for a few weeks due to a shoulder injury, and Lukasz Skorupski has a thigh injury.
Bologna are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Inter Milan, with Federico Ravaglia in goal. Emil Holm and Juan Miranda will start as the full-backs, and they will look to keep things compact defensively and hit Inter Milan on the break. Sam Beukema and Jhon Lucumi will start as the central defenders here.
As for the midfield unit, Remo Freuler and Tommaso Pobega will provide defensive cover to the side from the double pivot, and they will look to break up the opposition’s attacking moves.
Riccardo Orsolini and Dan Ndoye will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. Jens Odgaard will start as the central attacking midfielder here, and he will look to carve out goal-scoring opportunities with his passing and vision. Santiago Castro will lead the line for Bologna vs Inter Milan on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ravaglia; Posch, Beukema, Lucumi, Miranda; Freuler, Pobega; Orsolini, Odgaard, Ndoye; Castro
Inter Milan
The home side will be without Piotr Zielinski and Denzel Dumfries, who are out injured. However, the latest absentee is Marcus Thuram, who has picked up a muscle injury. Inter Milan will shape up in a 3-5-2 formation vs Bologna, with Yann Sommer in goal.
In the back three, Benjamin Pavard will start alongside Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni. Matteo Darmian and Federico Dimarco will start as the wing-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
Davide Frattesi, Nicolo Barella, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan will add control, creativity, and defensive cover to the side from the middle of the park. Mehdi Taremi will lead the line for Inter Milan, alongside Lautaro Martinez.
Possible Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Barella, Frattesi, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Taremi, Martinez
Key Stats
- Inter Milan have scored at least two goals in their last five matches in Serie A.
- 20 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
- Both teams have picked up four wins from the last six league matches.
- Inter Milan have conceded in each of the last six outings in all competitions.
- Bologna have kept three clean sheets in the last five matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Lautaro Martinez
The 27-year-old Argentine international is our key player to watch out for. Martinez has been in outstanding form this season, and he has 12 goals and three assists to his name in Serie A. The Argentine international has been quite impressive in the UEFA Champions league as well with eight strikes in the competition.
He will look to add to his goal tally here and open up opportunities for his teammates as well. Inter Milan will rely on their captain to make a defining impact in the final third and guide them to all three points, especially with Marcus Thuram unavailable.
Prediction
Bologna 1-1 Inter Milan
Both teams will look to pick up all three points, and this is likely to be a close contest. Bologna have been difficult to beat in recent weeks, and they have picked up four wins and a draw from the last five league matches.
The Rossoblu have managed to keep three clean sheets in the last five matches across all competitions as well. Meanwhile, Inter Milan have been the best team in the division, and it could be difficult to separate the two teams here. They are likely to cancel each other out and share the spoils in a goalscoring draw. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 stalemate for Sunday’s game.
