Bologna vs Roma Prediction: Improving Roma face tough trip

Bologna suffered a rare home defeat in Serie A last weekend against strugglers Hellas Verona. Vincenzo Italiano's side have a chance to respond quickly as they entertain Roma at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara (17:00) on Sunday.

The visitors have been improving under Claudio Ranieri, and they have have won three of their last five fixtures in the top flight. Below you will find my Bologna vs Roma prediction, featuring the latest match odds and team news.

Bologna vs Roma Odds

Bologna have won three of their last three league encounters on home soil, and they are 13/8, which has an implied probability of 38.1%, to win this match. Roma can be backed at the same price, but they are yet to win on their travels in Serie A this term.

Five of their nine trips have ended in draws, however, and the stalemate is on offer at 21/10 (32.3%) for Sunday. Half of Bologna's home games in the top flight have ended in draws, which could add to the appeal of this selection.

Both teams to score No has been a winning selection in four of the last five league games inside this stadium, and this is available at 10/11 for Sunday.

Football Odds

Team News

Bologna boss Italiano might name his strongest XI for this clash after having a rare week off. It comes with a catch, though, as not long after Sunday's encounter with Roma they must face high-flying Inter Milan at San Siro.

Midfielder Tommaso Pobega is unavailable due to the suspension he picked up last weekend, so either Lewis Ferguson or Nikola Moro should slot in alongside Remo Freuler in the middle of the park.

Oussama El Azzouzi and Nicolo Cambiaghi have both returned to training after lengthy injury lay-offs, but like Swiss midfielder Michel Aebischer, neither are ready to return to the fray at this moment in time, and Italiano will want them to work their way back up to full fitness before they are up for consideration.

As Bologna's leading scorer in the league with four goals, Santiago Castro will continue up front for I Rossoblu. He is set to be aided by Italy winger Riccardo Orsolini, who has been directly involved in six goals in his last eight appearances in Serie A.

For Roma, key figure Paulo Dybala has registered seven strikes against Bologna to date in the top flight, and he appears to be back to somewhere near his best. 'La Joya' has played a part in four goals across his last three league games - as many as in the previous 19. So he is heading here in fine form.

Midfielder Enzo Le Fee has swapped the Italian capital for Sunderland in a loan deal until the end of the season, but Ranieri can call upon a full squad this weekend. Zeki Celik has recovered from the illness that ruled him out last week, while Bryan Cristante has shaken off his ankle issue.

The Roma chief might be tempted to proceed with the same lineup that started against rivals Lazio last week, which would see Dybala link up with Artem Dovbyk in attack.

Bologna or draw and over 1.5 goals @ 21/20

This feels like an interesting game after what happened last week. Before being stunned by Verona on home soil, Bologna had lost just once here in 25 league outings.

Italiano's players might have been knocked back by those events but they will determined to bounce back at the first attempt here. Roma may still be searching for their first away win of the season but Bologna cannot afford to underestimate them.

They are steadily improving under Ranieri with three wins in five, including a derby victory over Lazio in their latest appearance. I've touched on how Dybala heads here in good form for the visitors, so he could play a big role in this contest.

He and his teammates will find this a challenge though as two defeats in 26 shows just how strong Bologna have been at home over the past 18 months. My head says Bologna will get back on track but it does feel like Roma have what it takes to get an important point on the road.

I'm going for double chance in Bologna's favour as a result. I've also boosted the odds by adding over 1.5 goals, which has landed in two of the last three Serie A matches in this stadium.

First team to score - Bologna @ 1/1

As well as being a tough nut to crack at home, Bologna have had a habit of being the first team in games to get into their rhythm first. So far in 2024/25, they have opened the scoring in 13 of their 17 Serie A matches, including each of their last four.

Following the defeat last week, I am expecting them to come out of the traps early on Sunday as they look to get back to winning ways at the first attempt. The players will be fired up and will be in a mood to get up and running quickly against a Roma side that have grown in confidence.

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