WE'VE sealed another stellar signing for the season with Serie A don Paolo Bandini bringing his expertise to the site thanks to our partner Unibet.
Paolo is an Anglo-Italian sportswriter who pens a superb weekly Serie A column for the Guardian and his other credits include ESPN, the BBC and TalkSport as well as making regular appearances on the Football Weekly podcast.
He's a Trevi Fountain of knowledge and we're delighted to have him on board. Here he previews Inter against Bologna.
Inter v Bologna (Sun 2pm)
Another week, and another opportunity for Inter to end their downward spiral. The Nerazzurri were sufficiently brilliant to start this season that not even an eight-game winless run has yet dragged them out of the top four, but their advantage over fifth-placed Roma now stands at a single point.
They will not want for motivation, then, but they might want for tactical solutions. Inter hope to have Mauro Icardi back up front, but it was not his absence which denied them a win over Crotone last weekend. His replacement, Eder, scored from his first attempt on target and made a nuisance of himself throughout but ultimately did not see enough of the ball.
The midfield trio of Borja Valero, Matías Vecino and Marcelo Brozovic has struggled to get a grip on recent games, and whilst they ought to dominate against a Bologna side that averages less than 48% possession, the reality is that they should have done against Crotone as well. This weekend’s opponents have been upgraded in the middle of the park by the January addition of Blerim Dzemaili.
I find myself with the same dilemma as last week, weighing up Inter’s superior quality against their miserable form. Of course, they will win another game eventually. But how do we justify presuming that it happens this week, when it didn’t against Crotone last time out or SPAL before?
Paolo's Tips
- Inter 1, Bologna 1 (7-1, Unibet)
- Destro to score first (9-1, Unibet)
- Under 2.5 goals (Evens, Unibet)
Anglo-Italian Paolo Bandini writes about Italian football for the Guardian and his tips appear here thanks to our football partner at MrFixitsTips, Unibet. They're making a big splash in the UK betting scene and if you join them today you can claim up to £30 in Welcome Bonuses when you deposit and place your first bet.
