Roma vs Bologna: which Italian side will progress?
In the return leg of the UEFA Europa League, Roma will face Bologna on Thursday, March 19, with kick-off at 21:00 CET. I suggest a betting option for this encounter.
Roma vs Bologna: match facts and head-to-head
- The first leg of the Round of 16 between Roma and Bologna ended in a 1–1 draw.
- Roma are winless in four matches: two draws and two defeats.
- Bologna have lost just one of their last eight matches.
- Roma have conceded in four consecutive games.
- Roma’s scoring streak now stands at seven matches in a row.
- Bologna have scored at least once in eight consecutive matches.
- At home, Roma are unbeaten in five matches: two draws and three wins.
- Bologna have won five consecutive away matches.
- Roma have kept clean sheets in 38% of their matches this season, Bologna in 17%.
- Roma have lost to nil in 21% of their matches, Bologna in 17%.
- In the last five head-to-head meetings, Bologna have won twice, Roma once, with two draws.
Roma vs Bologna: match preview
In the first meeting between these sides last week, neither team was able to find a winner. Bologna opened the scoring early in the second half, but Roma equalised 21 minutes later. The teams settled for a 1–1 draw in the first leg.
Prior to that, Roma had performed solidly in the League Phase, collecting 16 points from eight matches and edging Genk on tie-breakers to avoid the preliminary knockout round. However, their recent form has been far from convincing. They are winless in four matches and currently sit sixth in the Serie A table with 51 points after 29 rounds, just three points off the UEFA Champions League places.
Bologna have climbed to eighth place and are pushing to break into seventh. After 29 rounds, they have 42 points and trail seventh place by five. In their last eight matches, Bologna have lost only once while winning six. They competed in the Europa League knockout play-off round, where they defeated Brann 2–0 on aggregate. Their away form is particularly impressive, with five consecutive wins on the road, giving them solid chances in this tie.
Probable line-ups
- Roma: Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, Kone, Wesley; Pisilli, Pellegrini; Malen
- Bologna: Ravaglia; Zortea, Lucumi, Vitik, Lykogiannis; Ferguson, Freuler, Pobega; Bernardeschi, Castro, Rowe
Prediction
A very tense contest is expected, and I believe it will not be a high-scoring affair given the stakes. My suggestion is to back under 2.5 total goals in this match.
