Serie A Preview: Bologna vs Lazio – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Champions League qualification is potentially on the line as Bologna and Lazio go head-to-head at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. Only one point separates the two sides ahead of the kick-off, with fourth-placed Juventus a point away from the fifth-placed Biancocelesti.

An early Champions League exit proved a blessing in disguise for Bologna, allowing Vincenzo Italiano’s team to lock their sights on domestic commitments. Without the distraction of European football, Bologna have regained a foothold in the top-four race on the back of a clinical form since the start of February.

In addition to winning five of their seven league matches in that period (D1, L1), Bologna navigated a mouth-watering Coppa Italia quarter-final tie against Atalanta to set up a semi-final date against Empoli. Furthermore, they head into proceedings on the back of three consecutive victories in Serie A.

Despite sharing the spoils with Viktoria Plzen in a dramatic 1-1 home draw on Thursday, Lazio advanced into the Europa League quarter-finals 3-2 on aggregate, retaining a feel-good factor. However, the visitors wasted a glorious opportunity to leapfrog Juventus into fourth last weekend as Udinese held them to a 1-1 stalemate at Stadio Olimpico.

Seeking amends for a fifth winless outing in their last seven (W2, D4, L1), Lazio travel to Emilia-Romagna to complete their first league double over Bologna since 2004/05 following an emphatic 3-0 win in November’s reverse fixture.

Match Preview

Bologna

Goals on either side of halftime saw Bologna dispatch relegation-battling Hellas Verona last weekend, posting a third successive 2-1 win in Serie A. As a result, they stand on the brink of history, pursuing a fourth top-flight victory on the trot for only the second time in 55 years.

They achieved this feat last season en route to securing a historic Champions League qualification. More importantly, Lazio fell victim to Bologna’s high-flying form in that run, which is a potentially good omen for the Rossoblu.

Adding to the home side’s optimism, only against Roma (54) have they won more times in Serie A than against Lazio (48). Bologna have recently reigned supreme in this fixture, beating this opposition in three of their last four top-flight meetings on this ground without conceding (D1).

As if that’s not encouraging enough, Italiano’s charges carry an impressive six-game winning home streak into this showdown, netting at least two goals on each occasion.

Lazio

Despite boasting a six-match unbeaten league streak ahead of the kick-off (W3, D3), Lazio cannot afford to rest on their laurels. Indeed, their momentum has loosened after three of their last four Serie A matches ended level, including a scoreless stalemate at relegation-threatened Venezia toward the end of February.

However, there’s every reason for positivity in the traveling camp. Only three sides have accumulated more points on the road than Lazio’s 25 pre-round, with seven of their last ten top-flight away games yielding victories (D1, L2), bookended by a last-gasp 2-1 triumph at AC Milan on their most recent travel.

Lazio have been ruthless in the late stages of play, scoring a league-high 14 goals beyond the 80th minute this season, including a 95th-minute winner at the San Siro. Therefore, fans in attendance could be in for a late show.

On a less promising note, Lazio’s last win on Bologna’s home turf dates back to December 2018 under Simone Inzaghi.

Team News

Bologna boss Italiano will have his entire squad fit for this potentially season-defining fixture. Riccardo Orsolini and Dan Ndoye will likely play supporting roles to Santiago Castro. Orsolini is the club’s top scorer in Serie A this term with nine goals, while Castro has seven under his belt.

On the other hand, Elseid Hysaj will be the only absentee in the Lazio squad. Adam Marusic will likely take his place on the right flank. However, all eyes will be on Taty Castellanos and Mattia Zaccagni, with the former a goal away from hitting double digits in a season for the first time since joining the club from Girona.

Bologna vs Lazio Potential Starting Line-ups

Bologna (4-2-3-1): Ravaglia; Silvestri, Beukema, Casale, Miranda; Freuler, Moro; Orsolini, Fabbian, Ndoye; Castro.

Lazio (4-2-3-1): Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Tavares; Guendouzi, Rovella; Isaksen, Dia, Zaccagni; Castellanos.

Bologna vs Lazio Prediction

Aside from Lazio’s well-documented struggles at Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna’s home form is too intimidating to be taken lightly. With Italiano’s side firing on all cylinders, we can see the three points stay in Emilia-Romagna.