Separated by just one point in the Serie A standings, both Bologna and Frosinone aim to build on good form before the international break, as they meet at Stadio Dall'Ara on Sunday.

Despite fighting back for a point against Inter Milan last time out, the home side sit behind their promoted visitors in the table - but they last lost a game back in August.

Match preview

Most teams that trail 2-0 to Inter at San Siro simply fold, or at least end up leaving Italy's second city empty-handed. However, this season's Bologna are made of sterner stuff, and they pulled off a superb comeback to level matters and then hung on for a point.

After conceding twice early on, Riccardo Orsolini struck back from the spot and Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee drew the Rossoblu level during the second half, and a 2-2 result was their fifth draw in eight league matches this term.

Unbeaten away from home - and anywhere since an opening week loss to AC Milan - Bologna have put together their longest streak without Serie A defeat since 2009, and they sit just outside the top half of the standings.

Curiously, Thiago Motta's men have excelled in shutting up shop after the interval throughout the 2023-24 campaign, conceding fewer second-half goals than all but one other club in Europe's top five leagues - a total of one is equalled only by Real Madrid.

Motta will now hope his team can turn draws into wins over the coming weeks, as after hosting Frosinone they will tackle an Emilian derby with Sassuolo, then a Coppa Italia clash against Hellas Verona rounds off their October schedule.

Frosinone may arrive at Dall'Ara having won just one of their five previous games there in either Serie A and Serie B, but the second-tier champions will travel north with real hope of improving that record, given their bright start since gaining promotion.

With a win this weekend, the Canarini would become the first newly-promoted team to reach 15 points from nine games since 2013, having added three more to their tally just before the break.

A fortnight on from beating Hellas Verona 2-1 at Stadio Benito Stirpe, where goals from Real Madrid loanee Reinier and Juventus-owned Matias Soule earned them victory, Frosinone resume their search for a first away win of the season.

While they are yet to taste success on the road, Eusebio Di Francesco's side had built a five-match unbeaten streak before falling to Roma at the start of the month, and some talented recruits borrowed from bigger clubs have helped bolster a squad that claimed the Serie B title.

Soule, Kaio Jorge and Enzo Barrenechea arrived from Juve in the summer, while Atalanta's Italy Under-21 star Caleb Okoli has slotted into central defence; Napoli striker Walid Cheddira leads the line up front, while Di Francesco knits it all together with some canny management.

Team News

Defensive trio Jhon Lucumi, Stefan Posch and Adama Soumaoro remain unavailable for Bologna this week, but Danish full-back Victor Kristiansen has rejoined full training following a thigh injury and could even supplant Charalampos Lykogiannis on the hosts' left flank.

Following his goal against Inter earlier this month, winger Riccardo Orsolini is one of only five players to have scored in more than 10 different Serie A matches during 2023, and he will aim to find the net for a 12th occasion on Sunday.

Joshua Zirkzee also got on the scoresheet at San Siro, and he remains the Rossoblu's main attacking focal point after Marko Arnautovic's summertime departure.

Meanwhile, Frosinone have injury concerns regarding Kaio Jorge and Giuseppe Caso; both Abdou Harroui (foot) and Francesco Gelli (muscular) are certainly ruled out.

One of the Canarini's flock of loanees, Matias Soule has created the third-most chances of any player in Serie A this season (17): only Piotr Zielinski (25) and Teun Koopmeiners (19) have managed more.

The Argentinian playmaker will start in support of sole striker Walid Cheddira, who has scored just once since arriving at Stadio Stirpe via a successful spell at Bari.

Bologna possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; De Silvestri, Beukema, Calafiori, Lykogiannis; Freuler, Aebischer; Orsolini, Ferguson, Saelemaekers; Zirkzee

Frosinone possible starting lineup:
Turati; Oyono, Romagnoli, Okoli, Marchizza; Mazzitelli, Barrenechea; Soule, Reinier, Garritano; Cheddira

We say: Bologna 2-1 Frosinone

As Frosinone have scored only once in their away fixtures so far, it is some fine home form that has seen them occupy a spot in Serie A's top half. On the road they have proved more vulnerable, so Bologna can pick up maximum points and leapfrog their visitors in the table.


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