In a crucial showdown for Champions League aspirations, Roma squares off against Bologna in a high-stakes Serie A encounter.
With both teams eyeing a top-four finish, this match promises intense action and pivotal moments in their pursuit of European football.
Match Preview
Roma, trailing Bologna in the league standings, enter this match fresh from securing yet another European semi-final berth with a 3-1 aggregate triumph over rivals AC Milan.
Gianluca Mancini scored the decisive goal in the first leg and found the net again in the second leg, while Paulo Dybala added another goal.
However, Mehmet Zeki Celik’s first-half dismissal in the second leg sidelines him for the semi-final.
In Serie A, Roma’s match against Udinese was abandoned due to Evan Ndicka’s collapse, rescheduled for later in April, granting Roma a game in hand over Bologna.
With a four-point gap between them, a win in the rescheduled match and a victory here could propel Daniele De Rossi’s side back into fourth place with few games remaining.
Roma’s last Serie A victory came in the Rome derby against Lazio, with Mancini once again on the scoresheet.
He now has seven goals this season, with Dybala contributing 14 goals, trailing Romelu Lukaku, who has 18 goals but hasn’t scored recently.
In their previous encounter at the Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna secured a 2-0 victory, with Nikola Moro and an unfortunate own goal from Rasmus Kristensen sealing the win.
This season has been one of Bologna’s best in Serie A, with their fate in their own hands to secure a Champions League spot.
However, they head into this match after consecutive goalless draws against Frosinone and Monza, although they secured a victory against Salernitana before that.
Bologna boasts a solid defensive record, conceding only 25 goals while scoring 45 in the league so far.
Prediction & Analysis:
With both teams eager to secure a crucial victory, the match is poised to be tightly contested with limited goal-scoring opportunities.
Our prediction leans towards a draw, with the game likely to see under 2.5 goals scored.
This outcome would favor Bologna, allowing them to maintain their fourth-place position in the league standings and inch closer to Champions League qualification.
- Roma 0-0 Bologna
