Bologna – Fiorentina : Preview & Prediction
Bologna fans ecstatically chanted “Saputo, take us to Europe” to their president with a 4-0 thrashing of Lecce over the weekend keeping them firmly in the race for a top four finish. It was the second consecutive game in which they scored four times, but their European credentials will now be put to the test in the coming weeks as four of their next five Serie A fixtures are against clubs currently ranked in the top eight, starting with this rescheduled match against Fiorentina.
There will be a general sense of confidence at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, with their win over the weekend meaning they record nine wins in their first 12 home games in a top flight campaign for the first time since 1972/73. That includes a current 11-match unbeaten run (G9, E2) which apparently leaves them in a good position to avenge their 2-1 loss in the previous league meeting between them.
Fiorentina arrive on the back of a 5-1 win over Frosinone last weekend, a result that snapped a run of three consecutive defeats in all competitions. It was only their second win of the calendar year, with the previous one coming in the Coppa Italia, coincidentally against Bologna, although they needed penalties on that occasion. Now they can beat them for the third time this season and know that if they can do so they would overtake the home side in the top five of the table.
However, it will not be an easy task, with La Viola struggling on the road of late, with Vincenzo Italiano’s men losing their last three away games, including two in the league. A single goal could make the difference in this fixture, with four of Fiorentina’s last six league games on opposition soil having been 1-0.
Players to watch: Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee could look to make an early impact in the match as he has opened the scoring in three of the last five games in which he has found the back of the net, twice in less than 10 minutes. Fiorentina striker Nicolas Gonzalez prefers to show up late, with his last three league goals being registered in the second half, including the winning penalty in the previous meeting between them in Serie A.
Key stat: All but one of the last 14 matches between Bologna and Fiorentina in Serie A have been drawn at halftime.
Bologna – Fiorentina : Betting Tips
Bologna – Win Odds: 2.25
