In the second round of the Coppa Italia, Bologna is set to face Hellas Verona at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on Tuesday evening. Both Serie A teams are gearing up for this thrilling encounter after recent league performances.
Match Preview
Bologna is a two-time winner of the Coppa Italia, clinching the title in 1970 and 1974. However, their primary focus this season remains on Serie A.
The team secured a 1-1 draw against Sassuolo in their recent league match, accumulating 15 points from 10 matches, placing them at seventh in the table.
Thiago Motta’s squad has been in excellent form, with their only defeat of the season occurring on August 21 against AC Milan.
Despite their strong performances, a string of draws has kept them from rising higher in the league, with six draws in ten fixtures, the highest in the division.
Bologna advanced in the Coppa Italia by defeating Cesena 2-0 in the last round and has won three of their last four matches in the competition.
On the other hand, Hellas Verona is struggling with six losses in their last eight matches in all competitions.
They began the 2023-24 campaign impressively with a 3-1 victory over Ascoli in the Coppa Italia and two wins in Serie A.
However, they’ve since experienced a downturn, including a 1-0 defeat to Juventus in their recent league outing.
The Coppa Italia might not be a top priority for Hellas Verona, as their main focus remains on performing well in Italy’s top flight.
In their recent meetings, they suffered a 4-0 defeat to Bologna in the Coppa Italia in December 2016 but have remained unbeaten against Bologna in Serie A since September 2021, including a goalless draw earlier this season.
Team News
Bologna will be missing Jhon Lucumi and Adama Soumaoro due to injuries. Coach Thiago Motta is expected to make changes to the lineup, with Stefan Posch and Dan Ndoye among the likely replacements.
Joshua Zirkzee, who has been in excellent form this season, is set to feature in the attack.
Hellas Verona faces doubts regarding Isak Hien, Juan Cabal, and Jayden Braaf’s availability.
Coach Marco Baroni is also planning changes, with Jackson Tchatchoua, Darko Lazovic, and Tomas Suslov expected to be included.
Milan Duric is likely to lead the attack, possibly alongside Federico Bonazzoli.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Bologna:
- Skorupski;
- Posch, Bonifazi, Calafiori, Lykogiannis;
- Freuler, Moro;
- Orsolini, Ferguson, Ndoye;
- Zirkzee
Hellas Verona:
- Montipo;
- Magnani, Dawidowicz, Terracciano;
- Tchatchoua, Folorunsho, Suslov, Lazovic;
- Duda; Bonazzoli, Duric
Prediction
Bologna enters this match in better form, and despite making multiple changes to their lineup, they are expected to secure a comfortable victory and advance to the next round of the competition.
- Our prediction: Bologna 2-0 Hellas Verona