Soccer Italy Serie A Prediction

Verona vs Bologna - Match Preview

⚽ 21 April 2023 - 18:45 GMT +0

Serie A (SA) relegation battlers Verona restricted league leaders Napoli to just a single shot-on-target en route to an impressive goalless draw last Saturday. Coach Marco Zaffaroni hailed it as “a point that is worth a lot and must give us great morale” as it extended Verona’s record of having collected points in four of their last six matches (W1, D3, L2). As such, Verona is now incentivised by the fact a win over Bologna would drag them out of the bottom three, albeit perhaps only temporarily.

That could prove to be a huge morale boost ahead of a tricky run-in that sees Verona face four of the current top-eight sides, starting with this game. Such tricky-looking fixtures perhaps place added emphasis on home form, and considering Verona has lost just one of their last seven league games (W4, D2) at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, confidence should be high as they seek to build upon an impressive top-flight home H2H record against their visitors (W7, D12, L4).

The reverse fixture ended 1-1, which was the same score Bologna drew against AC Milan last weekend as they trail seventh-placed Juventus by virtue of goal difference alone. Boss Thiago Motta called it “the right result for the two teams” as it extended Bologna’s unbeaten run (W2, D3), but with seventh a potential gateway to European football next season, Motta’s men would be disappointed if they were to drop points again here.

With Juventus facing Napoli in this round, Bologna has a great chance to jump into seventh, but to do so they may have to post a first top-flight away H2H win since November 2017. That should prove enough motivation for Bologna to continue their energetic recent six-game SA away form (W4, D1, L1), with a razor-sharp attack netting exactly twice on five occasions.

📋 Players to watch: Kevin Lasagna assisted Verona’s winner in the 2-1 SA H2H victory last season at this venue. Bologna’s only goal in that match was netted by Riccardo Orsolini, who picked up his career-first SA red card in the reverse fixture.

⚡ Hot stat: Bologna has seen the half-time result replicated at full-time in seven of their last nine SA matches, as it also was in the reverse fixture.