Bologna (home)
- Vincenzo Italiano is a coach of the month this season, after guiding Bologna to domestic cup success and European qualification with his compact, energetic and patient build-up style.
- His Bologna side are very structured in the way they press selectively from a compact mid-block and build play with numbers in central areas while looking to combine in wide areas when possible.
- Bologna are in good form at home and the weather, which could be cool, partly cloudy and foggy on Thursday night, could subtly affect the tempo and visibility of the match.
Roma (away)
- Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma play a different brand of football with an intense pressing system that has seen Roma rise to 4th in Serie A with 51 points from 27 games played, firmly in the race for Champions League qualification.
- Roma have won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five competitive matches, drawing 2-2 away to Napoli and beating Cagliari 2-0 at home.
- Roma have accumulated 51 points from 27 Serie A games, 12 more than Bologna, and have a deeper squad than the hosts.
Head-to-Head
- Bologna F.C. edge Roma in the recent head-to-head with four wins in the last ten competitive meetings between the clubs in all tournaments, but Roma have taken three wins and three draws in that period, including a 1-0 home win in Serie A in August 2025.
- Bologna may have a strong home advantage in the first leg, however, because Roma, who have a bigger fan base, are restricted in the number of tickets they can sell away from Rome.
Key Players
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Bologna
- Riccardo Orsolini is the club’s biggest attacking threat right now, capable of creating and scoring on the wing and from set plays.
- Santiago Castro is a young, tenacious player who has made double figures in goal involvement this season, adding some intensity to the pressing game and coming deep to find the box late on to trouble defences.
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Roma
- Matías Soulé is a dynamo in midfield or wide areas, but Roma are likely to miss Paulo Dybala, who will have knee surgery and will miss this first leg.
- Donyell Malen is a decent finisher and the pace he provides to the front line is always a threat, as is the movement he creates for others.
- Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante bring leadership, creativity and set-piece quality in midfield, where Cristante can also cover central defenders in an emergency.
Betting Insights
Roma are slight favorites at 2.53 , Bologna are 3.3 and the draw 3.15 .
Prediction
- A narrow Roma win or draw would be the best result over two legs, but Bologna are in good form at home and the weather could subtly affect the tempo and visibility of the match.
- Back Bologna to keep it very close, as the odds suggest, with a draw or a 1-0 home victory looking good.
