After holding the Serie A champions to a draw in midweek, Bologna will expect to improve their prospects of European qualification when meeting rock-bottom Monza on Saturday.
Still seeking their first success since Christmas, the Rossoblu must take on an away side buoyed by finally ending a long winless streak.
Match preview
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For the second time in two games this year, Bologna drew 2-2 on Wednesday evening, as they fought back to deny Inter Milan maximum points at San Siro.
After supposed Inter target Santiago Castro struck to give the visitors an early lead, the Scudetto holders scored twice; but Emil Holm's deflected effort then levelled matters midway through the second half.
Having lost their final game of last year to Hellas Verona, the Rossoblu had belatedly kicked off 2025 by dropping two points to Roma during stoppage time, so they remain winless since beating Torino in December.
Head coach Vincenzo Italiano will therefore expect victory against relegation-threatened opponents this weekend, when his side could set a new club record for points won after 20 Serie A matches - they can reach 33 with a win.
Bologna occupy eighth spot, just adrift of the automatic European places, and before returning to a troubled Champions League campaign by hosting Borussia Dortmund next week, they must first entertain Monza.
After drawing five of their first nine home games in the league this season, the Emilian club will now attempt to do the league double over opponents they beat 2-1 in September's reverse fixture.
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Meanwhile, Monza may have other ideas, having claimed four points from two previous top-flight trips to Bologna. They did lose a recent Coppa Italia tie 4-0 at Stadio Dall'Ara, though.
While the Brianzoli still sit last in the standings, some six points shy of safety, they pulled off a major upset on Monday evening, when beating high-flying Fiorentina.
Finally posting the first home victory of a dismal league campaign, they overcame a side coached by former boss Raffaele Palladino, with goals from Patrick Ciurria and Daniel Maldini securing a precious 2-1 win.
That also brought new coach Salvatore Bocchetti's first-ever Serie A success at the ninth time of asking - having previously failed to win during a brief spell at Verona - while ending Monza's 11-match wait for maximum points.
Now, the Biancorossi will target their first away victory since October, as they attempt to engineer a great escape from relegation during the second half of the season.
Team News
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After a tough midweek fixture - and with one eye on European commitments next Tuesday - Bologna boss Vincenzo Italiano may make a handful of changes.
Colombian centre-back Jhon Lucumi should return to the hosts' lineup after serving a one-match suspension; Lewis Ferguson and Juan Miranda could also be recalled.
Long-term absentees Oussama El Azzouzi and Nicolo Cambiaghi recently returned to training, though the latter is not ready for action just yet, while Swiss midfielder Michel Aebischer is still sidelined by a hernia problem.
Monza, meanwhile, can call upon Danilo D'Ambrosio again, after a one-game ban, but Portuguese wing-back Pedro Pereira is now suspended.
Samuele Birindelli, Dany Mota and Luca Caldirola are ruled out, in addition to influential defender Pablo Mari, who failed a pre-match fitness test.
Long-term absentees Matteo Pessina and Roberto Gagliardini are still missing, but new signing Stefan Lekovic - who has just arrived on an initial loan from Red Star Belgrade - might be available, and Georgios Kyriakopoulos is back in the fold following an injury.
Bologna possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; Holm, Beukema, Lucumi, Miranda; Freuler, Ferguson; Orsolini, Fabbian, Dominguez; Castro
Monza possible starting lineup:
Turati; D'Ambrosio, Izzo, Carboni, Kyriakopoulos; Akpa Akpro, Bianco, Bondo, Ciurria; Caprari, Maldini
We say: Bologna 1-0 Monza
After taking a point off both Roma and Inter at the start of 2025, Bologna should belatedly celebrate their first win of the year.
They are particularly tough to beat at the Dall'Ara, while Monza have won just one away game all season long.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
