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

Having escaped the Serie A drop zone just before international football intervened, Cremonese will seek three more precious points on Sunday, when they welcome Bologna to Stadio Zini.

While Cremo are embroiled in a fierce battle for top-flight survival, their mid-table visitors have one eye on an exciting European adventure. 

Match preview

Recovering from a big mid-season dip, Bologna have won four of their last six Serie A matches, in addition to knocking domestic rivals Roma out of the Europa League with a dramatic away win.

However, the Emilian club broke for the international period by losing 2-0 at home to Lazio, leaving them in ninth place and surely out of contention for a top-seven finish.

Qualifying for Europe via the league therefore looks unlikely, so Vincenzo Italiano's team may solely focus on their current continental campaign.

Bologna will soon meet familiar foes Aston Villa yet again in the Europa League quarter-finals - having been beaten in Birmingham twice over the past 18 months - but first they must visit Cremona.

Including their extra-time victory over Roma, the Rossoblu have won six consecutive away matches for the first time in club history, continuing an excellent record on their travels.

So far, Bologna have accrued eight more points away from home than back at Stadio Dall'Ara, and they boast Serie A's fourth-best road record this term.

© Imago / Gribaudi

Indeed, even Cremonese prevailed at the Dall'Ara when these clubs last met in December, with Jamie Vardy bagging a brace as the visitors won 3-1.

Much has changed since then, as the Grigiorossi subsequently nosedived down the Serie A standings and inevitably fell into the drop zone.

Despite being renowned as a fire-fighting survival specialist, head coach Davide Nicola was finally dismissed last month, and his successor Marco Giampaolo made an immediate impact.

Returning for a second spell at Stadio Zini, Giampaolo's arrival brought the end of a 15-match winless run that had featured 11 losses, as Cremonese beat Parma 2-0 just before the international break.

With eight games remaining to preserve their top-flight status, last year's Serie B playoff winners are now level on points with 18th-placed Lecce, so another loss of momentum could prove fatal.

Any positive result on Sunday would move Cremo clear of the Salentini for a few hours at least, but they have lost both of their last two home games and are yet to win at the Zini in 2026.

Cremonese Serie A form:

D L L L L W

Bologna Serie A form:

W W W L W L

Bologna form (all competitions):

W L D W W L

Team News

© Imago

Ahead of Villa's midweek visit, Bologna boss Italiano may choose to rest one or two key players, and he will have an almost full squad to choose from.

Only Danish forward Jens Odgaard and first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski are still unavailable: the latter suffered a hamstring injury midway through March, so Federico Ravaglia must continue to deputise.

It remains to be seen if Italiano will keep faith in Riccardo Orsolini, who scored in December's reverse fixture but has struggled ever since.

The Italy winger has not found the net in his last 12 league appearances, and another blank this week would match his longest drought for the club, which occurred back in 2018.

Likewise, Vardy has been enduring a fruitless spell since scoring twice against Bologna, but he could still partner Federico Bonazzoli in the hosts' attack.

Though the English striker missed Cremo's win over Parma through injury, he should supplant Antonio Sanabria to start up front - the latter is now suffering with a pelvic problem sustained while on national duty for Paraguay.

While Warren Bondo will return from suspension and dominant centre-back Federico Baschirotto has resumed full training, Michele Collocolo joins Sanabria on the treatment table.

Cremonese possible starting lineup:

Audero; Terracciano, Baschirotto, Luperto; Zerbin, Grassi, Maleh, Vandeputte, Pezzella; Bonazzoli, Vardy

Bologna possible starting lineup:

Ravaglia; Zortea, Lucumi, Heggem, Miranda; Moro, Freuler; Orsolini, Bernardeschi, Rowe; Castro

We say: Cremonese 1-1 Bologna 

Seven of the last 10 league matches between these sides have ended in a draw, and that could be the outcome once again.

Relegation-threatened Cremonese will be highly motivated under new boss Giampaolo, but Bologna are hard to beat away from home and should leave Lombardy with at least one point.

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