Preview:Bologna vs Freiburg - prediction, team news, lineups

Looking to bounce back from losing on the Europa League's first matchday, Bologna will welcome Freiburg to Stadio Dall'Ara on Thursday evening.

While the Italian club were beaten in Birmingham for a second straight year, their German counterparts started the league phase with a home win over Basel.

Match preview

Having lost to Aston Villa in the Champions League last October, Bologna recently returned to Villa Park, still seeking their first win over English opponents in any major competition.

Lifting the Coppa Italia had seen the Serie A side secure back-to-back European qualifications for the first time this century, but they started their Europa League campaign with a 1-0 defeat.

After conceding an early goal, Bologna began to improve after the break, with Santiago Castro's header striking the crossbar, but they ultimately failed to find an equaliser.

Back on the domestic front, Vincenzo Italiano's side sit ninth in Italy's top flight, having made a mixed start to the 2025-26 season.

Last weekend, the Rossoblu conceded a painful late leveller in Lecce, where they had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Serie A's bottom club after conceding a last-gasp goal.

They now head back to base, where they have only ever lost twice in 31 UEFA matches - albeit both defeats came in two of their last three European games at the Dall'Ara.

Slightly out of their depth at Champions League level last year, Bologna won just one of four home fixtures in that league phase, but Italiano is seeking at least a playoff place this time around.

Fast becoming continental regulars, Freiburg have qualified for UEFA competition three times in the past four years, and a fifth-placed Bundesliga finish in 2024-25 earned them another Europa League spot this term.

The German club beat Basel 2-1 at home in their opening contest, with midfielders Patrick Osterhage and Maximilian Eggestein scoring either side of half time.

While Bologna have been dropping points of late, Julian Schuster's side are unbeaten in four games across all competitions, and they last failed to score way back in March.

After losing two of the first three games this season, they have been building some momentum, and Sunday's 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim left them eighth in the early league table.

On home turf, Freiburg have won four of their last five European group or league matches, but they will head to Emilia-Romagna with a much less impressive record on the road.

The Black Forest club have not won any of their last three Europa League away games, failing to score on each occasion.

Bologna Europa League form:

Bologna form (all competitions):

L W L W L D

Freiburg Europa League form:

Freiburg form (all competitions):

L L W W W D

Team News

Amid a busy schedule at home and abroad, Bologna were glad to welcome Nicolo Casale back to full training this week - but some players will still be unavailable on Thursday.

Ciro Immobile and Ibrahim Sulemana are both ruled out by injury, while veteran right-back Lorenzo De Silvestri was omitted from the club's UEFA squad list.

Star man Riccardo Orsolini converted his second penalty in as many Serie A games at the weekend, and the Italy winger could support either Castro or Thijs Dallinga up front - but Italiano likes to rotate quite substantially for midweek matches.

Orsolini's international colleague Vincenzo Grifo is a key cog in Freiburg's attack, with two Bundesliga goals to his name so far - he is set to link up with Austria striker Junior Adamu.

Another Austrian, Philipp Lienhart, has been missing from the visitors' back four since mid-September, so it remains to be seen if he is passed fit to partner Matthias Ginter.

Having served a Bundesliga suspension on Sunday, Swiss midfielder Johan Manzambi will return to the squad, potentially reclaiming his place in the starting XI.

Bologna possible starting lineup:

Skorupski; Zortea, Vitik, Lucumi, Lykogiannis; Freuler, Moro; Orsolini, Odgaard, Cambiaghi; Castro

Freiburg possible starting lineup:

Atubolu; Kubler, Ginter, Jung, Makengo; Eggestein, Osterhage; Beste, Manzambi, Grifo; Adamu