Bologna will welcome Salernitana to Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on Monday in a battle between two sides with an opposite trajectory in this Serie A campaign.
The hosts are looking to remain in the top four for a place in the Champions League next season, while the visitors are stuck in the bottom of the league with little to no hope of survival.
Match preview
Bologna head into the game after a morale-boosting 1-0 win over Empoli courtesy of Giovanni Fabbian's 94th-minute strike, a victory that marked their first-ever Serie A triumph at Stadio Carlo Castellani.
The Red and Blue currently sit on 54 points from 29 league games, already matching their tally from the entirety of the previous campaign which secured them a ninth-place finish.
This season, ambitions are higher, as Thiago Motta's men are chasing a place in the Champions League, aiming for just their second ever appearance in the prestigious competition after their previous and only appearance in the 1964-65 season.
With Roma, currently in fifth, just three points behind, Bologna know they cannot afford any slip-ups. While there is a strong possibility Italy will be awarded five Champions League spots next season, Bologna are determined to secure their place without relying on external factors.
Looking to take another step towards their goal, Bologna will host struggling Salernitana on Monday. They boast an unbeaten run against Salernitana in their last five meetings (W2, D3), their second-longest ongoing unbeaten streak against any team, only bettered by their run against Lecce (seven games).
Victory on Monday would see the Red and Blue secure back-to-back wins against their visitors, having secured a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture. However, Bologna also face the risk of losing two consecutive home matches for the first time under Motta, having fallen 1-0 to Inter in their last outing at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
Salernitana's three-year stay in the top flight appears to be coming to an end as they have struggled to find form, leaving them rooted to the bottom of Serie A with just 14 points and 11 points from safety, painting a bleak picture for their survival hopes.
The Garnets have the worst record in the league, with the most defeats (19) and the fewest wins (two), while they have also conceded the second-highest number of goals (59). Historically, the outlook is grim as no team with only two wins at this stage of the season has ever avoided relegation.
Following a 1-0 defeat to Lecce before the international break, Salernitana sacked Fabio Liverani and appointed Stefano Colantuono as his replacement. This marks Colantuono's third stint with the club, making him their fourth manager this season with Paulo Sousa (until October 10) and Filippo 'Pippo' Inzaghi (until February 11) also coming earlier.
Colantuono, hoping for a change in fortune during his third spell, will be aiming to secure Salernitana's first-ever away victory over Bologna. In their four previous top-flight games at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, they have yet to win, only having a worse away record at Fiorentina, Roma and Inter.
Team News
Bologna's top scorer Joshua Zirkzee, did not feature in the win over Empoli and looks set to miss Monday's clash with a hamstring injury, while Adama Soumaoro is also sidelined with an ACL injury with his return date uncertain for now.
Dan Ndoye was involved from the start last time out due to Zirkzee's injury and should keep his spot in attack against Salernitana.
Jens Odgaard is expected to lead the line once again with Alexis Saelemaekers completing the attack.
For the visitors, Grigoris Kastanos missed the last match against Lecce with a knee injury and will remain sidelined for this clash.
Niccolo Pierozzi is also out with a muscle injury, while Federico Fazio will have to pass a late fitness test due to a physical discomfort.
Loum Tchaouna and Shon Weissman are the two players expected to lead the attack in a 4-3-1-2, while Antonio Candreva offers support.
Bologna possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; Posch, Beukema, Calafiori, Kristiansen; Freuler, Ferguson, Fabbian; Ndoye, Odgaard, Saelemaekers
Salernitana possible starting lineup:
Ochoa; Zanoli, Manolas, Fazio, Bradaric; Basic, Coulibaly, Maggiore; Candreva; Weissman, Tchaouna
We say: Bologna 2-0 Salernitana
Without Zirkzee in attack, Bologna struggled to make things happen in the final third last time out. However, we think they have enough firing power in attack to get maximum points against the league's second-worst defence.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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