The situation in Dortmund is far from positive. We can't remember the last time we saw this team lose three times in a row, and the new year started just like that for them. Let's see how they do on the international stage.
Facing Borussia Dortmund is a team that is going through its debut season in the Champions League. Bologna certainly would have preferred to get a few more points this campaign, but unfortunately, their time in the biggest competition is coming to an end.
The Felsinians have managed to earn just two points in six rounds, and are also the lowest-scoring team overall. They have only scored one goal in the tournament so far. However, it should be noted that Bologna have finally begun to improve their form and have only one loss in all competitions since the end of November.
Borussia Dortmund must be ecstatic with their earlier performances in the Champions League because qualification would be a lot harder if they had yet to earn points with this form. Now BVB need just one win to eliminate any mathematical chance of relegation.
However, the last three weeks have been pretty tough for Nuri Sahin and his team. Dortmund have been suffering all season in away games, but nobody imagined they would lose 4-2 to Holstein Kiel, for example.
Losing at home to Bayer Leverkusen was also surprising, but not that strange. And to top it off Eintracht Frankfurt beat them to nil last weekend. Let's see the odds for the Bologna match.
How the bookies view it: Experience over form
Bookmakers do not believe that the hosts have much chance against their far more experienced rivals. Currently, you can bet on Bologna at 5/2, while the odds for Dortmund revolve around 1/1. The draw carries the same value as a home win, being available at 5/2.
Recent head-to-head: First official meeting
As Bologna had not taken part in any of UEFA's modern tournaments before this season, this will be their first official match against Borussia Dortmund. However, it should be noted that the teams have met once in a friendly. That match was in 2021, and Dortmund won 3-0.
Players to watch: Guirassy loves the Champions League
Serhou Guirassy loves playing in the Champions League and already has six goals and two assists in six appearances this season. Despite Dortmund’s poor attacking form, we expect a different BVB on the international stage and potentially some goals at last. Guirassy scored a brace against Barcelona in the previous CL round.
Probable line-ups
Bologna: Skorupski, Lykogiannis, Casale, Beukema, Holm, Moro, Freuler, Orsolini, Odgaard, Ndoye, Castro
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel, Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Kabar, Can, Gross, Nmecha, Brandt, Bynoe-Gittens, Guirassy
Anything else catch the eye?
A month ago we would have bet in a totally different way. However, the current form of both teams gives us completely different ideas and we think the chances are high. The fact is that Bologna have only scored one goal in the tournament so far. It is also a fact that Dortmund are the second-highest-scoring team in the entire Champions League with 18 goals in six games. That means the visitors have scored an average of three goals per game so far.
Furthermore, we keep noting Bologna's recent results. The team had serious problems in attack at the start of the season, but now they have managed to score 2+ goals in each of their last five games and eight of their last 10. Their efficiency is on a completely different level and we definitely expect them to punish Dortmund's rampant defence at least once.
This UEFA Champions League match between Bologna and Borussia Dortmund will be played on Jan 21, 2025 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Bologna vs Borussia Dortmund prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
