Liam Garcia
Dailysports's expert
On April 24, 2025, the return leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final series will take place at the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium in Bologna, featuring a clash between Bologna and Empoli. I believe the teams won't deliver a goal fest.
Preview
Following the first leg, which ended in a confident 3-0 victory for Bologna, the return match seems more like a formality than a real comeback opportunity. This is also reflected in the current Serie A standings: both teams have serious end-of-season goals, but of entirely different natures.
Empoli is in a desperate fight to remain in the top tier of Italian football. The team is in 19th place, second from last, and is just one point away from the safe 17th position with five rounds left. Empoli hasn't won in regular time for a long time—their only success this calendar year is related to the Coppa Italia, where they managed to advance through the Round of 16 and quarter-finals solely via penalty shootouts.
Empoli's last regular time victory was last year—in the 15th round of Serie A away against Verona with a score of 4-1. A similar result (a victory with a three-goal margin) would give the team a chance to reach the final. However, given their current form and the context of the season, this seems highly unlikely.
Bologna's objectives this season are far more ambitious and pleasant. In a recent Serie A match, the team narrowly defeated Inter Milan at home, thus intensifying the race for top positions in the standings.
Currently, Bologna sits in 4th place—a position that grants a spot in the next Champions League. However, the competition for the top four is incredibly fierce: several teams are in a tight group, and any slip-up could cost a place in the prestigious European tournament. Moreover, Vincenzo Italiano's squad faces a challenging schedule with matches against direct competitors for Champions League spots.
Probable Lineups
- Bologna: Skorupski, Calabria, Beukema, Lucumi, Miranda, Ferguson, Freuler, Orsolini, Odgaard, Ndoye, Dallinga
- Empoli: Segetti, De Sciglio, Marianuzzi, Tosto, Gyasi, Vassi, Kovalenko, Cacace, Solbakken, Faschini, Colombo
Match Facts and H2H
- Bologna is unbeaten at home in 10 consecutive matches, with 8 wins and 2 draws.
- Empoli has failed to defeat Bologna in their last five head-to-head encounters, with two draws and three losses.
- The first semi-final meeting ended in a deserved win for Bologna, with an expected goals (xG) tally of 0.32 to 2.02.
- The teams have already played both head-to-head matches in Serie A, both ending with identical 1-1 scores.
Prediction
Both teams have priority tasks in Serie A, and the 3-0 scoreline after the first leg eases the tension. Expect a pragmatic game without risk or high intensity. Bet on a total under 2.5.
