Serie A returns this weekend and the opening round features several fixtures of the highest quality, including a clash between Roma and Bologna in the capital. Have the Giallorossi improved under the new management, or will the new Coppa Italia champions give them a hard time again?
Gian Piero Gasperini aims to return Roma to its glory days and the pre-season fixtures sent a clear message. The Italian inherited a team that is hungry for success and he clearly knows how to get the best out of his players. With four wins in six friendly matches (D1, L1), the Giallorossi aim to start the new campaign with a bang, after a revolutionary run in early 2025.
In fact, Roma were unbeaten in 19 consecutive Serie A rounds from mid-December until mid-May. And then they met Gasperini's Atalanta, who gave them a beating. So, Roma's new boss clearly knows the weaknesses in his camp, and he must have found a way to wipe them out ahead of the new campaign.
As for Bologna, the 2024/25 Coppa Italia winners clinched a direct promotion to the Europa League and will have another chance to shine in Europe. But if we don't count the cup final, fans of the Red-Blues have plenty of reasons to worry ahead of the new campaign, as Bologna ended the previous season with a five-match winless run in Serie A.
How the bookies view it: They don't rule Bologna out
Bookmakers did not underestimate the visitors and their assessment seems valid. Roma are the betting favourites but not by that much, as they are available at 23/20. Bologna's chances have been estimated at 12/5, while the draw is available at 23/10.
Recent head to head: Roma's fans have multiple reasons to worry
The last few H2Hs were not kind to Roma, as the Giallorossi have not won since 2023. Bologna are unbeaten in the last five meetings, and they also won the last to visits to Stadio Olimpico. Roma may have an all-time lead but the visitors have dominated this rivalry in recent history.
Players to watch: Immobile returns home in new colours
Ciro Immobile will make his return to Serie A after a single season with Besiktas in the Turkish Super Lig. He returns home to Stadio Olimpico but with a new club, but this will not change his desire to punish Roma, as he has scored seven goals against the Giallorossi in eight seasons for Lazio. And we have to say that he appears to be in great shape, playing in four of Bologna's five pre-season games. Moreover, he had a fantastic season with Besiktas, scoring 19 goals across all competitions.
Probable line-ups
Roma: Svilar, Hermoso, Ndicka, Mancini, Kone, Wesley, El Aynaoui, Angelino, Soule, Dybala, Ferguson
Bologna: Skorupski, De Silvestri, Lykogiannis, Lucumi, Vitik, Ferguson, Orsolini, Cambiaghi, Odgaard, Freuler, Immobile
Anything else catch the eye?
This rivalry produced some wild matches in recent years, with the last three H2Hs all covering the Over 3.5 line. We expect a similar showing at the start of the new campaign and the goal markets are a better choice than backing either side.
While Roma have looked very promising under the new boss, friendly matches will never be as intense as a real Serie A fixture, and we expect the Giallorossi will need some time to fully adjust. Therefore, we expect to see a tie in this matchup, just like the last encounter in January.
GambleAware