Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's Serie A encounter between Bologna and Lazio. There is a great amount of intrigue surrounding this match as both teams look to adapt quickly to life under new managers, so let's get straight down to business.

We'll start with a look at our hosts tonight, who welcome Davide Ballardini into their dugout for the first time as manager. He replaces Stefano Pioli in the Bologna hot-seat having been appointed this week after Pioli's side lost 2-0 to bottom-placed Catania last Monday. As well as being a glimpse into the future for Ballardini, today will also be a blast from past as he spent seven months in charge of Lazio in 2009-10.

Bologna are currently perilously poised just one place and one point above the Serie A relegation zone, and Ballardini certainly faces a tough test to guide them to safety in what is left of the season. Tonight's hosts have amassed just 15 points from their 18 matches in the current campaign, but they would rise a place into 16th with a win this evening.

To do that, they are going to have to show plenty of things that they didn't under Pioli. Improvement in front of goal will be high up on the list of priorities as only the bottom two sides in the league have scored fewer goals than Bologna so far this season. They have found the net just 17 times in their 18 matches.

Things aren't much better at the other end of the pitch, with Bologna defence being breached 33 times - the second-highest total in the division. Only Sassuolo, who have been on the end of some thumpings this season, have conceded more times than Bologna in the current campaign.

So, there is plenty for Ballardini to improve upon, but he doesn't have a very solid base. Bologna's form is poor and they have only won three matches all season, which is the joint-lowest amount in the league. They have lost four of their last five games in all competitions and have only recorded one win in their last nine. Furthermore, they have only scored one goal in their last four matches, conceding seven.

Most of Bologna's success this season has come in front of their own fans, but their home record is still not exactly impressive. They have only won one of their last 10 matches at the Stadio Renato Dall'ara, with the sole win coming by a solitary goal against Genoa. However, another way of looking at it - and one I'm sure Ballardini will be using, is that they have only lost one of their last five league games at home, and that was to leaders Juventus. They have won 10 of their 15 points in front of their own fans this season.

Perhaps their biggest hope today lies in the opposition's record away from home this season. Lazio have been woeful on their travels so far, picking up just four points from a possible 27. They are yet to win an away match in the league this season and have only tasted success on their travels once in all competitions, beating Legia Warszawa in the Europa League. They are one of just three winless teams on the road in Serie A this season.

However, Lazio will be hoping that they have turned over a new leaf with a managerial switch of their own. They said goodbye to Vladamir Petkovic over the festive period, hiring Edoardo Reja in his place. It was an appointment that paid immediate dividends, with Lazio beating Inter in his first match on charge on Monday, but it remains to be seen whether he can repeat such results away from home.

Like Bologna, they need to score more and concede less. Only one team in the top 11 have scored fewer goals than Lazio this season, with the capital club finding the net just 23 times in their 18 games. That is despite having veteran striker Miroslav Klose in their ranks, who will have special memories of this fixture. He scored five goals against Bologna in a 6-0 win for Lazio the last time the two teams met, the same amount of goals that the German has scored in total this season.

At the other end of the pitch, only two teams have conceded more goals than Lazio's 26 in the top 13 of the table. That leaves their goal difference at -3, which is something that they will need to improve if they are to make a charge up the table in the second half of the season.

They will also need to vastly improve their form, although that has shown signs of getting better recently. They have won two of their last three league games, but their record stretched further back is much more worrying, with just three victories in their last 13.

BOLOGNA STARTING XI: Curci; Antonsson, Natali, Cherubin; Garics, Pazienza, Christodoulopoulos, Kone, Morleo; Diamanti; Bianchi

LAZIO STARTING XI: Berisha; Cavanda, Biava, Dias, Lulic; Candreva, Ledesma, Gonzalez, Hernanes, Anderson; Klose

PREDICTION: Any match involving a new manager is tough to predict, but with both sides enjoying recent changes at the helm this one is even harder than usual. Lazio have been dreadful away from home this season, but Bologna have been pretty poor both home and away in the current campaign. It wouldn't surprise me to see either side go on and win the game, but I am going to sit on the fence and go for a draw. 1-1.

I mentioned the 6-0 drubbing Lazio handed out to Bologna the last time these two teams met, at the tail end of last season, and you can be sure that tonight's hosts will still have that result fresh in their memory. They will want revenge tonight and, with the added momentum of having a new man in charge, they could very well get it.

The last time these two teams met here, it ended in a goalless draw back in December 2012. Neither of these sides are renowned for getting lots of goals this season, but with new managers in charge we could well see a more attacking game than usual. I would be quite surprised if this ended 0-0.

We're running a little bit late for kickoff in this match, but I'm not quite sure why. The teams have not yet emerged onto the pitch, although the subs came out quite a while ago.

Here come the teams at long last. It isn't the smoothest of starts to the Ballardini regime at Bologna, but he will be hoping that his side get off to a faster start in the match than the two teams did coming out of the tunnel.

Bologna will be buoyed by having Diamanti back available today. He was missing during the Catania defeat on Monday but returns from suspension to captain the side this evening.

KICKOFF: The match finally gets underway around seven minutes late due to the teams coming out of the tunnel behind schedule. It is Lazio who get us underway for this first half.

The first shot of the day comes from Bologna, but it is comfortable for the keeper. It was Diamanti who went for goal, but he couldn't get enough power behind the effort with his weaker right foot to really trouble Berisha.

Another effort from Diamanti as the ball falls to him on his favoured left foot this time. He doesn't catch it as well as he would have liked, however, and it bobbles comfortably into the arms of the keeper.

This has been a solid start from the hosts, who are clearly trying to get the ball to Diamanti whenever possible. He is the main threat to Lazio's defence this evening and the visitors won't want to let him get settled in this match early.

This is better from Lazio. The visitors have their first long period in possession, knocking the ball around nicely in midfield as they look to settle themselves into the match.

Lovely play from Bologna on the left as Bianchi and Diamanti exchange passes before the former swings a good ball into the box. It is well defended, but those front two look to be linking up quite well for the hosts tonight.

Candreva slips the ball through to Klose, but the German striker is just offside. It was clever movement from him, but the pass came a fraction too late to match the run.

Garics is fortunate not to become the first player in the referee's book after a cynical foul that was clearly intentional. He jogs off having been let off by Domenico Celi.

Bologna are employing quite defensive tactics in this match at the moment. That is perhaps understandable in Ballardini's first game in charge, but often it is at least worth trying to take advantage of the boost a new managerial appointment gives a team.

Still nothing to report in terms of chances in this match so far. The vast majority of the game has been played out in the middle of the park in the opening 17 minutes.

There has been some really sloppy pieces of play in this match so far. In the last minute or so there were two pieces of miscontrol and a terrible pass forward. The quality is certainly not high in this match at the moment.

Diamanti hounds Dias down inside the Lazio defender's own box, but the visitors eventually gets the ball half clear. It comes straight back at them before another poor clearance gives the hosts a chance to cross it in, but Diamanti's delivery is too close to the keeper.

The quality of passing in this match has been pretty poor from both sides so far. There have been far too many misplaced passes, and that is contributing heavily to the low quality of the game overall.

Lazio have not been able to get Klose into the match at all so far. He is being very tightly marked by the Bologna defence at the moment, which is unsurprising considering what he did to them the last time these two met.

YELLOW CARD! Kone goes in with a high challenge on Ledesma and catches the Lazio man with his studs. The referee produces the card, and Kone can have no real complaints.

SAVE! The best moment of this match by some distance falls the way of Bologna. Diamanti keeps the ball moving well for Kone, who slips a lovely ball inside the full-back for Garics to run on to. He pulls the ball back into the middle for Bianchi, who flicks it goalwards but can't get enough power on his effort to beat the keeper, who makes a good stop.

Hopefully that will liven this game up a bit. It certainly has got the crowd up for it after half an hour of pretty dire football.

Bologna are beginning to look more threatening now. The ball drops to Diamanti over on the left side of the penalty area, but he tries to chip the keeper from a tight angle while Berisha was on his line. Very strange effort from the playmaker.

Another strange effort, this time from Bianchi, as he tries a shot from a good 35 yards following a nice piece of play from the hosts. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't test the keeper as the ball skims along the floor and is easily saved.

Bologna are the better side right now, it must be said. They still aren't exactly playing awe-inspiring football, but they have raised their game somewhat and look most likely to provide an opening goal in this match.

Lazio put a couple of crosses into the box, which is something they haven't done enough of today. Klose is a real threat in the air, but they haven't used him much at all.

Two Lazio players gang up on Diamanti and win the ball back cleanly on the halfway line. They then give the ball to Candreva, who hammers a long-range effort way over the bar.

We're just four minutes from half time now and Curci still hasn't had a save to make in the Bologna goal. Lazio have been poor in attack today and, while Bologna haven't been much better, they have at least tested the opposition keeper.

Lazio just seem so short of ideas when going forward. They have not looked for one moment like they are capable of breaching this Bologna defence which, to be fair, has played quite well today.

The referee brings an end to a very plain and drab first half between two teams low on confidence and, on the basis of that performance, low on quality. It remains goalless at the break, and that is a perfectly fair representation of how this match has gone so far. There has only been one incident that can be considered a chance, while Bologna's keeper has not been tested at all so far.

That solitary chance came for the hosts when Kone slipped the ball inside the full-back for Garics to run on to. He pulled it back across goal for Bianchi, but his effort was saved by the keeper. Bianchi just couldn't get enough on his effort to really test the keeper, who got down well to make the stop.

Other than that, there has been very little to reflect on in that first half in terms of action in either attacking third. Bologna did start the match quite brightly, with Diamanti firing two shots on goal early on, but both were fairly tame and comfortable for Berisha in the Lazio goal.

There is a big banner in the stand reading 'No more games of shame, you are wearing the shirt of Bologna'. That is an ominous message from the fans, but their side haven't showed much to reassure the supporters that they are on the right track. They have been good defensively so far, but Davide Ballardini has employed some negative tactics in his first match in charge.

Still, it could be worse for Bologna - they could have played like Lazio in the first half. The visitors look no better away from home under Reja than they did under Petkovic and have not threatened whatsoever in this match so far. Curci has not had a save to make, and the Bologna defence has dealt with everything far too comfortably. The visitors have been truly woeful in attack.

The good news to come from that first half is that it can't get much worse. Surely we will be treated to a better second half as both sides begin to tire and the three points become more alluring to both managers. Let's hope that we at least see a goal!

The sides were late coming out for the first half, and they are a little late for this second period too. They finally seem to be emerging from the tunnel now, though, so we should be ready to go again shortly.

LAZIO SUB: Lazio make a change at half time as Balde Keita comes on to replace Anderson. Something needed to change for Lazio, and at least Reja is doing something to try to make that happen.

KICKOFF: Bologna get us back underway for the second half. Hopefully it will be more eventful than the first!

Slow start to the half again from both sides as the struggle to get the ball out of the middle third. Lazio began with a little more urgency about them, but Bologna have since taken control of the ball and are dictating a leisurely tempo.

Ledesma tries a simple five-yard pass to a teammate in midfield, but he blasts it over his head and straight out of play! In a match that has seen far too many awful passes, that may be the worst of the lot.

Klose must be getting more and more frustration as time goes by. He has not had a sniff today having scored five times against the same team the last time he came up against them. He has been given no service by his teammates today and is cutting a very isolated figure.

Lazio are beginning to press Bologna a bit quicker, but the hosts still keep possession comfortably. There is just no urgency about either side at the moment, they both look resigned to a 0-0 already.

You know I said before the match that I would be surprised if this one ended 0-0? Forget that. I just cannot see where a goal is going to come from at the moment.

The only formula that has shown any signs of working tonight is a long ball up to the head of Bianchi, who knocks it down to the likes of Diamanti. The striker has been good in the air so far today, but the service to him in the second half has been poor.

SAVE! Candreva whips a ball into the box that Natali tries to volley clear first time. He completely slices his attempt, however, and it takes a stop from Curci to stop it flying in for an own goal. That one could have gone anywhere, and he is lucky that his keeper was right behind the miskick.

YELLOW CARD! Pazienza goes into the book, and he can have no complaints with that one. He went flying into a challenge on Ledesma with a very high foot and caught the Lazio man in the face with his studs.

Cavanda latches on to a loose ball down the right channel before delivering a good low cross right across the six yard box. It is the sort of position that you would usually find Klose in but, after no service all day, the German is not there and the ball rolls out of harm's way.

Diamanti provides a burst of urgency into the match, picking the ball up inside his own half before driving past a couple of defenders and into shooting range. His eventually shot is disappointing, however, as he drags a shot well wide of the right post.

Good pressure from Bologna high up the field almost results in a poor error from Lulic, who gives the ball away with a pass across the face of his own goal. However, Cavanda recovers in time to win the ball back straight away.

Still no signs of the opening goal, but surely that will be change in the final 20 minutes or so - this game has to has one clear chance, doesn't it?!

YELLOW CARD! Diamanti skips past Ledesma before throwing himself to the floor having beaten his man. It was a foul, and Ledesma is booked for the tackle, but that was a very dramatic fall from Diamanti.

OFF THE BAR! I can't quite believe that Klose has missed this chance. Candreva swings his best delivery of the match behind the defence and it bounces up to Klose, who looks to have a simple finish for a man of his quality. However, he can't keep his shot down and fires it off the top of the bar when he really should have scored. That was a golden opportunity, by far the best moment of the match so far.

LAZIO SUB: Having just provided his best cross of the game, Candreva makes way to be replaced by Ederson. Can he bring some much needed Brazilian flair to this match?

BOLOGNA SUB: The hosts make a change of their own as Marek Cech, formerly of West Brom, comes on for Cherubin.

Diamanti goes down under the challenge of Cavanda and wins a free kick in a good position. It is just on the edge of shooting range, around 30-35 yards from goal.

SAVE! The initial free kick hits the wall, but the ball bounces out to Christodoulopoulos, whose long-range strike bounces twice on its way through a mass of bodies before being gathered by the keeper.

Bologna are beginning to look more inclined to go for a winner now, and if they get it then they will put this match down as a big success despite the poor quality of it. They are attacking with more urgency and purpose now.

BOLOGNA SUB: Morleo's evening is over as he makes way to be replaced by Rene Krhin.

Diamanti gets the ball around 10 yards outside the Lazio box and looks for Bianchi in the middle with a high cross. He overhits it, however, and it is another misplaced pass in this game.

CLOSE! Oh that is very close to the opening goal for the hosts! A lovely pass from Krhin finds Diamanti inside the box, and he produces a fine reverse pass of his own to put it into the middle. Kone meets the low cross with a first-time effort, wrapping his foot around the ball to send it narrowly wide.

In a match that has been low on quality throughout, we have still had two of three really good chances. Klose should have scored for Lazio in what has been their only promising piece of play so far, while Bianchi and Kone have both threatened for the hosts.

Diamanti is still looking for something special as he tries to catch the keeper off guard with a 45-yard effort that flies a long way wide.

YELLOW CARD! The ref hands a late yellow card to Biava for a foul on Bianchi, but the visitors' biggest concern will be the fact that Bologna have a free kick in a decent position. Diamanti is standing over it...

...Unsurprisingly he goes for goal but sends it a long, long way over the bar. That was a terrible effort.

LAZIO SUB: The visitors make a late change as Ogenyi Onazi comes on in place of Ledesma for the final couple of minutes.

There will be just two minutes of added time at the end of this match.

The referee brings an end to what was, quite frankly, a dreadful match of football. Lazio had the best chance of the match when Klose somehow hit the bar from close range, while Bologna also came close twice, but other than that it will be a very short highlights package for this match. Still, a draw is not a terrible result for either side, and there is the added bonus of a clean sheet apiece too.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening. Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was a rather dull goalless draw between two sides short on confidence. Be sure to stick around for our match report, which will be up on site shortly, while there is plenty more live Serie A action for you tomorrow. From me though, it is goodbye!