Verdict: Home team over 1.75 goals
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Bologna will be looking to consolidate their position in the standings when they take on Verona. The match will be played at Renato Dall Ara Stadium, starting from 20:45 local time. A high attendance is expected following the hosts latest displays.
Bologna
Bologna impressed this season with their attacking football against top Serie A sides. The Red Blues are on the verge of making history, pushing for a top 4 finish. Such an achievement would see them playing Champions League football in the next season.
If the Scudetto battle seems to be already over with Inter dominating the race, the Champions League positions are still up for grabs. The Greyhounds sit 5th in the table, level on points (45) with Atalanta who currently is placed in the last Champions League spot and it s fair to say they are still dreaming of playing European football next term.
Thiago Motta has implemented an attacking style of football at Bologna. His players are in excellent form being undefeated in the last 5 Seria A rounds. Even more impressive were the 4 consecutive wins that made this side a real top 4 contender.
The last-round victory at Olympico against Lazio was the cherry on the cake. The Red Blues secured a crucial 3 points by coming from behind and winning the match with a late goal scored (1-2 final score). Motta managed to tweak his attack having the strikers scoring goals for fun.
Netting twice at San Siro against Milan in a 2-2 draw was the start of Bologna s revival. An expected win against Verona would end February on a high, increasing the spirits before facing heavyweights Atalanta and Inter.
Team News
Thiago Motta has all the players available to face Verona. Right winger Alexis Saelemaekers and centre-back Riccardo Calafiori are at risk of being suspended if they get booked.
Bologna is expected to have the same line-up used in last week s Lazio win. Posch, Beukema, Lucumi and Kristiansen will form the back line protecting goalkeeper Skorupski. A dense midfield with 5 players will back striker Zirkzee. The latter is looking to repeat the excellent performance he had against Lazio when he scored.
Verona
Verona is facing a difficult challenge this season as the club is very much engaged in a relegation battle. The visitor s disappointing results positioned the team in 18th place, level on points with Sassuolo. However, Marco Baroni s squad displayed improvements lately after a terrible start to the campaign.
Despite failing to win in the last 4 Serie A rounds, Verona lost only once in these games. Still, 3 points from a maximum of 12 was not enough for the Yellow-Blues to reach safety.
A surprising draw at home against Juventus could be a sign of resurrection for Marco Baroni s side. Scoring twice against Serie A contenders is a performance that Verona s fans are hoping to see repeated against Bologna.
The visitors are struggling on the road winning only one league game this season. Hellas pulled off a narrow win at strugglers Empoli, in the Serie A debut match. Renato Dall Ara proved to be a difficult ground for Marco Baroni s team who secured the last win in 2016.
Team News
Verona is facing an injury crisis with 4 players missing the trip to Bologna. Goalkeeper Alessandro Beraldi is still recovering from his shoulder injury suffered in mid-January. Centre forward Juan Cruz and right winger Tijjani Noslin are also out.
Besides those sitting in the recovery room, the other 3 key players could face a suspension if they get booked. Pawel Dawidowicz, Giangiacomo Magnani and Michael Folorunsho are in danger of missing the next games.
Key factors to consider
Bologna is in great form winning the last 4 Serie A matches. A win at Olympico against Lazio positioned the hosts in the 5th place, level on points with Atalanta
Thiago Motta s strikers are performing at the highest level scoring at least 1 goal in the last 6 competitive games
The Red Blues are the best team in the Serie A home game losing only to Milan this season
Verona is engaged in a difficult relegation battle, sitting currently on 18th with 20 points
The visitors mood is high following an outstanding home performance against Juventus
Marco Baroni s team failed to win in the last 7 games played at Renato Dall Ara Stadium
Conclusion
Bologna will host Verona looking for a win that could see Thiago Motta s team in 4th place at the end of the round. The Red Blues are undefeated in the last 5 games and start as clear favourites against Verona. The visitors are struggling on the road conceding 18 goals this season.
Considering Bologna s firepower we are backing the hosts to score 2 or more goals and win the match.
Verdict: Home team over 1.75 goals
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