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

Meeting for the fourth and final time this season, Serie A rivals Bologna and Roma will convene at Stadio Dall’Ara on Saturday evening.

After posting one win apiece and a draw from three contests so far, the pair are to be reunited, with the Giallorossi still chasing Champions League football.

Match preview

While Roma still have hope of finishing inside Italy’s top four, Bologna boss Vincenzo Italiano even admitted his club’s campaign is essentially over following last week’s 2-0 defeat to Juventus.

Still smarting from being dumped out of the Europa League a few days earlier, the Rossoblu’s jaded display in Turin was perhaps no surprise.

Already out of the Coppa Italia, last year's domestic cup winners are trailing far behind Serie A's top six with just five rounds remaining, and they look set to miss out on European qualification.

Victory this week would pull them within seven points of sixth-placed Roma, keeping the door slightly ajar, but Bologna have lost six of eight league fixtures played at the Dall’Ara this calendar year.

Remarkably, that already represents one more home defeat than they suffered throughout 2024 and 2025 combined, summing up why the Emilian club are currently languishing in mid-table.

Still, before Saturday’s game, fans of the Rossoblu can reflect on their recent Europa League victory over Roma, which finished 5-4 on aggregate after a thrilling second leg at Stadio Olimpico.

© Iconsport / LaPresse

The first leg of that tie had finished 1-1, while Roma prevailed in the most recent Serie A meeting - a 1-0 home win last August.

As a result, the Giallorossi can now complete a league double over their Rossoblu rivals for the first time since 2020 - and that would keep fading Champions League dreams alive.

Desperate to claim a seat at Europe’s top table after a seven-year wait, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side sit sixth in the table, now five points behind fourth-placed Juventus with just five games to go; big-spending Como are also in contention.

Last week’s 1-1 home draw against Atalanta served another blow to the capital club, who have been struggling to keep their internal power struggles private in recent weeks.

A war of words between Gasperini and much-loved director Claudio Ranieri has proved an unwelcome distraction, leading to talk that the latter will walk away at the end of this season; otherwise ‘Gasp’ will have to go.

His faltering team have lost their last three top-flight away fixtures, and over the last dozen matchdays they would only rank 14th, so pressure will begin to build if they fail again in Emilia-Romagna.

Bologna Serie A form:

L W W L W L

Bologna form (all competitions):

L W L W L L

Roma Serie A form:

L L W L W D

Roma form (all competitions):

L L W L W D

Team News

Bologna are still missing first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski, plus centre-back Nicolo Casale and Dutch striker Thijs Dallinga, while Federico Bernardeschi has suffered a muscular injury and could be sidelined for the next fortnight.

The latter’s absence should see top scorer Riccardo Orsolini retain his place: the Italy winger scored in his last home game, finally ending a nine-match Serie A drought at the Dall’Ara, and has previously netted two league goals against Roma.

Skorupski's deputy Federico Ravaglia is not so certain of selection, with 18-year-old Massimo Pessina being highly rated inside the club.

Meanwhile, Roma’s last line of defence is known beyond any doubt. Since the start of last season, Mile Svilar has played all of the Giallorossi’s 71 Serie A matches and has the highest save rate (77%) in Italy’s top flight.

Gasperini can welcome back Brazilian wing-back Wesley this weekend, while Paulo Dybala could also be ready to return from his latest layoff.

However, injured midfielders Lorenzo Pellegrini and Manu Kone must miss out again, alongside stricken strikers Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson.

With Dybala still seeking fitness and other options unavailable, Donyell Malen will continue to lead the line, having racked up 10 goals in 13 league appearances since signing midway through January.

Bologna possible starting lineup:

Ravaglia; Mario, Lucumi, Vitik, Miranda; Ferguson, Freuler, Sohm; Orsolini, Castro, Rowe

Roma possible starting lineup:

Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante, El Aynaoui, Wesley; Soule, Pisilli; Malen

We say: Bologna 1-2 Roma 

Not only is Bologna's home record quite abysmal, but Champions League-chasing Roma will have more motivation than their fatigued hosts.

Almost out of the running for Europe, the Rossoblu have played two extra games since these sides met last month, and that mental and physical fatigue will surely tell.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.