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

Close to confirming their place in next season's Champions League, Napoli will aim to take the final step on Monday, when they welcome Bologna to Stadio Maradona.

Recently deposed as Serie A champions, the Partenopei can still finish runners-up, while their visitors are only bound for mid-table.

Match preview

Resigned to passing on the Scudetto either sooner or later, Napoli watched from afar as Inter Milan were crowned Italy's top team last weekend, formally ending their reign.

Ever demanding, Antonio Conte will not allow his squad to switch off, because with three games remaining they are still in a tight top-four fight.

With a precious place in next season's Champions League yet to be confirmed, the Partenopei have a relatively kind run-in; after hosting Bologna, they will play relegated Pisa and then Udinese.

Furthermore, fifth-placed Roma are trailing six points behind, so it would take a monumental collapse for Napoli to miss out.

After riding their luck as last week's game against Como ended goalless - marking the clubs' third draw within 90 minutes this season - Conte's men now return to their Neapolitan stronghold.

Before welcoming Bologna - who they most recently beat 2-0 in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-finals - Napoli have won 20 and only lost one of their last 28 Serie A home matches.

Of course, Bologna were taking part in the super cup due to a memorable Coppa Italia triumph around this time last year, but their current campaign is now petering out.

Held to a 0-0 home draw by Cagliari last weekend, Emilian club have failed to score in any of three Serie A fixtures since being dumped out of the Europa League.

More likely to lose their spot in the top half, finishing seventh looks improbable - and even that would only book Conference League qualification if Inter win Wednesday's cup final.

Set to miss out on a return to UEFA competition, Vincenzo Italiano's side have little left to play for, but they will still try to continue some impressive form on the road.

Contrasting with a dire home record in 2026, Bologna boast Serie A's sixth-best away record overall, while recent results against Napoli also suggest they should head south with some hope.

Though they were beaten in December's Supercoppa clash, the Rossoblu have only lost one of the last six league meetings, including a 2-0 win in November's reverse fixture.

Napoli Serie A form:

W W D L W D

Bologna Serie A form:

W L W L L D

Bologna form (all competitions):

L W L L L D

Team News

Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo was back on the bench last week, and the experienced defender could make his long-awaited return to action on Monday evening, having been absent since January.

As Antonio Vergara has also resumed full training, only Romelu Lukaku and David Neres are still sidelined.

With his long injury list finally clearing, Conte could name an unchanged XI, as 10-goal top scorer Rasmus Hojlund spearheads a 3-4-2-1 formation.

Just behind his former Manchester United teammate, Scott McTominay has notched nine Serie A goals, so the box-crashing midfielder will be keen to reach double figures within the final three matchdays.

Bologna's leading scorer is Riccardo Orsolini; however, most of his eight goals arrived before Christmas and he has never found the net in 13 league games against Napoli.

Goals have been a big problem for the Rossoblu in recent weeks - they last scored five games ago, against Lecce - and Jens Odgaard has had no success since filling in as a false nine.

So, Santiago Castro should be recalled on Monday, when his fellow forward Thijs Dallinga is set to return from injury.

The visitors will be missing Nicolo Cambiaghi, Martin Vitik and Nicolo Casale, but Joao Mario is fit again and first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski could be back in the squad after a seven-week layoff.

Napoli possible starting lineup:

Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Politano, Lobotka, McTominay, Gutierrez; De Bruyne, Alisson; Hojlund

Bologna possible starting lineup:

Pessina; Zortea, Lucumi, Helland, Miranda; Ferguson, Freuler, Moro; Orsolini, Castro, Rowe

We say: Napoli 2-0 Bologna

Bologna are seeking their first Serie A double over Napoli since 2002, but they are in dismal form and only three teams have a worse record against top-half opponents.

None of the last 12 league meetings in Naples have ended level; the hosts have won nine, and that tradition will continue with another home win on Monday.

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