Bologna vs Red Bull Salzburg Prediction: Another routine victory for I Rossoblu

Bologna and Red Bull Salzburg made poor starts to their league phase campaigns in the 2025/26 Uefa Europa League, each losing their first two games, but both sides have breathed life into their qualification hopes recently. The Italians beat FCSB 2-1 in Romania on matchday three before drawing 0-0 at home to Brann last time out, despite going down to 10 men in the 23rd minute, while the Austrians responded to a third straight defeat by beating Go Ahead Eagles 2-0 on matchday four.

Below are my Bologna vs Red Bull Salzburg predictions, accompanied by all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of Thursday's contest between the two teams at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara (20:00 GMT, TNT Sports 8).

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New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Team News

Lukasz Skorupski, Emil Holm, Jonathan Rowe (all thigh), Remo Freuler (shoulder) and Nicolo Cambiaghi (calf) are all expected to miss out for Bologna on Thursday due to injury, while Charalampos Lykogiannis is serving a suspension for the red card he received against Brann on November 6.

Ibrahim Sulemana, Lorenzo De Silvestri and Benjamin Dominguez all featured in I Rossoblu's 3-0 win at Udinese in Serie A on Saturday, but the trio were left out of the club's Europa League squad.

Football Odds

John Mellberg, Takamu Kawamura (both knee), Karim Onisiwo (muscle) and Christian Zawieschitzky (back) are in the Salzburg treatment room and won't be considered for selection on Thursday.

Bologna vs Red Bull Salzburg Odds

Bologna have drawn both of their UEL home games this season, and a third stalemate of the campaign for Vincenzo Italiano's side can be backed at 7/2. Thursday's hosts are 4/11 to win, implying a 73.3% probability of success, while Salzburg are 7/1, or a 12.5% chance, to triumph and pick up their first away points.

Match Result & Total Goals Over/Under 3.5 - Bologna & Under 3.5 @ 21/20

All four of Bologna's UEL league phase games, and three of Salzburg's four, have featured three or fewer goals, with the Austrian side's 3-2 home defeat to Ferencvaros on October 23 proving to be the exception to the rule so far.

That defeat was the final match of Salzburg's three-game losing streak in the competition, which started with a 1-0 home loss to FC Porto on September 25, followed by a 2-0 reverse to Olympique Lyonnais in France a week later.

Today's Football Fixtures

Bologna were handed a couple of tough fixtures to kick off their European campaign this season, and so it proved as they lost 1-0 at Aston Villa on matchday one before being held to a 1-1 draw at home by SC Freiburg on October 2.

The Serie A side showed their class in their third match, a 2-1 win at FCSB, before an early dismissal cost them in a goalless draw with Brann on November 6.

Italiano's charges are riding high again in their domestic league, sitting fifth, level on points with fourth-place Inter after a run of three consecutive wins, the last two of which have seen them keep a clean sheet.

Just before the international break, Bologna beat reigning champions Napoli 2-0 at home, before regrouping last weekend to win 3-0 at Udinese.

I Rossoblu have recorded eight victories this season, and six have featured three or fewer goals.

Salzburg have already lost three times on their travels this term, and their last two European away days have ended in defeat, with a 3-2 Uefa Champions League play-off loss to Club Brugge on August 12, followed by a 2-0 UEL league phase reverse in Lyon last month.

Bologna could well keep a fourth consecutive clean sheet on Thursday, but with a few important players missing through injury, I'm going to play things slightly safer and back a home win and under 3.5 goals.

Bet Builder - Torbjorn Heggem (BOL) 1+ Shots & Juan Miranda (BOL) 2+ Tackles @ 13/8

Bologna centre-back Torbjorn Heggem, who joined the club from EFL Championship club West Bromwich Albion during the summer, is averaging 1.5 shots per game in the Europa League, having recorded one effort against FCSB and two against Brann.

The 26-year-old is averaging 0.4 shots per game in Serie A, and with Bologna taking 21 corners across their last two European matches against FCSB (10) and Brann (11), he may get a few opportunities to get his head or another body part on the end of a delivery this Thursday.

With Lykogiannis suspended, Juan Miranda is likely to line up to the left of Heggem at left-back, and I'm backing the Spaniard to make at least two tackles against Salzburg.

The 25-year-old hasn't started in the Europa League yet this season, but in both of his substitute appearances, he has made a tackle, and he's recorded a couple in his last two Serie A outings against Napoli and Udinese.