After both Bologna and Parma suffered Serie A setbacks last weekend, the teams will meet at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara to decide which side will secure a place in the Coppa Italia quarterfinals.
Bologna faced a difficult task when they met overachievers Cremonese, who once again proved they are here to stay by beating the Rossoblu 3-1 away. This defeat was Bologna’s first in 12 competitive matches and their first in Serie A since mid-September.
More importantly, it was Bologna’s first setback at home this season, and a huge surprise after their recent wins over Salzburg and local champions Napoli. The Rossoblu are ranked second in goals scored in the top flight with 22 goals in 13 rounds.
In contrast, Parma stand on the exact opposite end of the table when we consider goals, as the Crusaders have scored the second fewest goals (9). Few things could make this season worse for Parma and dropping out of Coppa Italia is certainly one of them.
Unfortunately, the Crusaders do not look like they’re up for a fight against a team like Bologna, given that they only won once away this season, and it was against bottom-placed Verona.
How the bookies view it: Bologna to crush Parma again
Bookmakers unanimously agree that the hosts have a huge advantage ahead of this clash and it will be almost impossible for Parma to overcome the challenge.
At the moment, you can back Bologna at 1/2, the draw at 29/10, or Parma at 6/1.
Recent head-to-head: The Rossoblu were relentless
Although Parma managed not to lose either of the two meetings last season, this is now impossible in the new campaign because Bologna crushed them in the first clash of the new campaign, and it also was away from home. The match ended at 3-1, and it is quite likely that this result will be repeated on Thursday.
Overall, Bologna have won three of their last five clashes, scoring at least three goals in each victory. Parma have only one win in those last five H2Hs.
Players to watch: Dallinga shines when given a chance
Bologna have not had it easy with their injury problems and this is an opportunity for Vincenzo Italiano to leave out some of his best and come out with a heavily rotated squad. Among the names we expect to see, we can highlight Thijs Dallinga.
The 25-year-old has not played much this season but made a huge mark whenever he received good minutes. He scored a goal in each of his last three appearances where he was in the starting line-up, and we expect to see his name on the scoresheet against Parma.
Backed a player to find the net? Check our Goalscorer Betting guide to see how the markets work and where to find value.
Probable line-ups
Bologna: Ravaglia, Holm, Lucumi, Heggem, Lykogiannis, Moro, Ferguson, Orsolini, Fabbian, Rowe, Dallinga
Parma: Guaita, Delprato, Troilo, Valenti, Britschgi, Estevez, Cremaschi, Lovik, Oristanio, Almqvist, Pellegrino
Anything else catch the eye?
After a slow start, Bologna turned things around and remained unbeaten for a little over two months before last week’s disaster. And the fact is they scored 2+ goals in seven of their last 10 competitive fixtures in Serie A and the Europa League.
Parma have been abysmal when it comes to scoring goals and we believe they won’t score unless Bologna take a strong lead or come out with an extremely experimental squad. We have to back the Rossoblu to win here, and we expect them to do it in convincing fashion.
There is some value in the BTTS market due to this being a cup match, but we’d rather bet on Over 2.5 goals on the side. Bologna are more than capable of covering the line themselves, as we’ve already seen them do against this exact rival.
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