Overview
Although still having a chance to squeeze into the top 4 of Serie A, Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano admitted that the team's season has almost closed after a 0-2 defeat to Juventus last week.
In the context of just being eliminated from the UEFA Europa League, Bologna's lackluster performance in Turin did not cause much surprise. The Emilia team also stopped at the Coppa Italia, and is now quite far behind in the top 6 race when the season is only 5 rounds away.
A victory against Roma could help Bologna narrow the gap to 7 points, but home form is a major weakness. They have lost 6/8 matches at Dall'Ara this year - more than the total home defeats of both 2024 and 2025 combined.
However, Rossoblu fans can still remember the dramatic victory over Roma in the Europa League with a total score of 5-4, in which the second leg at the Olimpico brought strong emotions.
In the opposite direction, Roma aims to complete a double victory against Bologna in Serie A for the first time since 2020, after winning 1-0 in the first leg in August.
Coach Gian Piero Gasperini's team is currently ranked 6th, 5 points behind Juventus in the UEFA Champions League race. However, pressure is increasing as Como is also fiercely chasing.
The 1-1 draw against Atalanta last week continued to make Roma lose momentum. Not only that, internal conflicts are also affecting the capital team.
The verbal battle between Gasperini and Claudio Ranieri caused many upheavals, even rumors appeared that one of them would leave the club at the end of the season. Roma's away form is also very worrying, as they have lost 3 consecutive away matches. In the last 12 rounds, the maroon team is only ranked 14th in terms of achievements - a figure showing a clear decline.
In that context, the away trip to Emilia-Romagna is not only a 3-point match, but also a test of Roma's bravery with Champions League ambitions.
Personnel situation
Bologna continues to suffer losses when number one goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski is absent, along with center-back Nicolo Casale and striker Thijs Dallinga. In addition, Federico Bernardeschi suffered a muscle injury and may be out of action for about two weeks.
Bernardeschi's absence is likely to help Riccardo Orsolini continue to keep a starting spot. This winger has just ended a 9-match goalless streak at home with a goal in Serie A, and has also had a chance to score against Roma.
In the goalkeeper position, Federico Ravaglia is not necessarily chosen when young talent Massimo Pessina (18 years old) is receiving high appreciation from inside the team.
On the other side, Roma's defense still maintains stability with Mile Svilar. Since the beginning of last season, this goalkeeper has played a full 71 matches in Serie A and has the highest save rate in the league (77%).
Gian Piero Gasperini may welcome the return of full-back Wesley, while Paulo Dybala is also approaching the day of his return after a period of injury recovery.
However, Roma is still missing many important players such as Lorenzo Pellegrini, Manu Kone, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson due to injuries.
In the context that Dybala has not reached his best physical condition and lacks a replacement, Donyell Malen will continue to lead the attack after scoring 10 goals this season.
Expected lineup:
Ravaglia, Mario, Lucumi, Vitik, Miranda, Ferguson, Freuler, Sohm, Orsolini, Castro, Rowe.
Svilar, Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso, Celik, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Wesley, Soule, Pisilli, Malen.
The match between Bologna and Roma takes place at 11:00 PM on April 25th (Vietnam time).
