Bologna are finding it difficult to balance Serie A and Champions League football and now have to host AC Milan, who have clear intentions of fighting for the title this season.
Few things remain from Bologna's unbelievable campaign last season when the team finished in the Top 4 and qualified for the Champions League. This exciting opportunity turned out to be a huge issue for the team, which was not prepared to match the expectations.
Bologna scored a single win in their last ten fixtures across all competitions when they beat Monza over a month ago. They haven't scored a single goal in the CL after three rounds and sit dead centre in the Serie A table with six draws in eight matches.
Milan have also had their fair share of negative experiences in the Champions League but finally found their way to the three points against Club Brugge on Tuesday.
The positive side is that the Rossoneri score plenty of goals. The negative side is that their defence often makes costly mistakes and the team concedes a lot away from home.
How the bookies view it: Closer than anticipated
Milan's odds are surprisingly high but it could be as a result of their tight schedule. Betano gave them 23/20 to win on Saturday, while the home team of Bologna sits at 12/5. Alternatively, you can pick the draw at 22/9.
Recent head to head: Scary Red and Black dominance
While Milan have the upper hand, Bologna often caused them headaches in recent years. But the fact remains that Milan have not lost to this opponent in 17 games in a row. Bologna's last win dates back to 2016 but there is a much more interesting stat here. Bologna last won against Milan at home in 2002.
Players to watch: An ex-Chelsea star
Christian Pulisic has clearly found his place in Milano. He finished the previous campaign with 12 Serie A goals and eight assists. He has already scored five plus three assists in eight appearances this season.
The American has been particularly useful away from home, scoring in three of Milan's four visits in the league this season. As long as Paulo Fonseca doesn't decide to give him rest, he will be the main suspect to score against Bologna.
Probable line-ups
Bologna: Skorupski, Posch, Beukema, Casale, Miranda, Freuler, Moro, Orsolini, Fabbian, Ndoye, Castro
AC Milan: Maignan, Emerson, Tomori, Gabbia, Terracciano, Fofana, Loftus-Cheek, Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao, Morata
Anything else catch the eye?
Having already discussed the recent H2Hs, it is clear that Milan know how to deal with Bologna and rarely leave matters unresolved. As long as there isn't fatigue from Tuesday's fun, Milan should win this match.
Their advantage will not be as apparent, however, and Bologna will have chances to score. An over sounds like a good option and so does the BTTS. Milan conceded at least one goal in every away game they played this season. In three out of five matches, they conceded 2+ goals. Their defence has been the primary reason for not winning a few more games.
This Serie A match between Bologna and AC Milan will be played on Oct 26, 2024 and kick off at 17:00. Check below for our tipsters best Bologna vs AC Milan prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
