Cremonese vs Bologna – News and Probable Lineups

Having narrowly avoided falling into the Serie A relegation zone just before the international break, Cremonese will look to secure three crucial points this Sunday when they host Bologna at Stadio Zini.

While Cremonese fights hard for survival in the top tier, their opponents from mid-table are eyeing a thrilling European journey.

Match overview

After experiencing a significant dip mid-season, Bologna has bounced back, managing to win four out of their last six Serie A games and impressively eliminating local rivals Roma from the Europa League with a stunning away victory.

Nevertheless, Bologna concluded the international break with a 2-0 home defeat to Lazio, positioning them in ninth and seemingly out of the running for a top-seven finish.

Securing European qualification through the league now appears unlikely, meaning Vincenzo Italiano’s squad may fully focus on their current continental pursuits.

Bologna is set to face familiar adversaries Aston Villa once more in the Europa League quarter-finals, having suffered defeats in Birmingham on two occasions in the past 18 months, but first, they must contend with Cremona.

Including their extra-time triumph over Roma, the Rossoblu have won six consecutive away fixtures, marking a historic achievement for the club as they maintain an exceptional away form.

Bologna has so far earned eight more points on the road compared to their home games at Stadio Dall’Ara, boasting the fourth-best away record in Serie A this season.

In fact, Cremonese came out victorious at Dall’Ara during their previous encounter back in December, with Jamie Vardy scoring twice as they triumphed 3-1.

Since then, a lot has happened, as the Grigiorossi experienced a significant decline in form, eventually falling into the relegation zone.

Despite being recognized for his ability to stave off relegation, head coach Davide Nicola was relieved of his duties last month, with Marco Giampaolo taking over and making an immediate difference.

Returning to Stadio Zini for a second stint, Giampaolo’s management ended a 15-match winless streak, which included 11 defeats, as Cremonese defeated Parma 2-0 just before the international break.

With only eight matches left to secure their top-flight survival, last year’s Serie B play-off winners are currently level on points with 18th-placed Lecce, meaning another setback could be detrimental.

A positive result on Sunday would allow Cremonese to move ahead of the Salentini, even if just temporarily, but they have lost their last two home matches and are still searching for their first victory at Zini in 2026.

Team News

© Imago

In preparation for Villa’s visit midweek, Bologna head coach Italiano may opt to rest one or two key players, and he has nearly a full squad available for selection.

The only players unavailable are Danish forward Jens Odgaard and first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski, the latter having suffered a hamstring injury in mid-March, meaning Federico Ravaglia is expected to continue in goal.

It remains uncertain if Italiano will choose to retain faith in Riccardo Orsolini, who netted in the December encounter but has struggled for form since.

The Italy winger hasn’t scored in his last 12 league matches, and another goalless performance this week would equal his longest stretch without a goal for the club, which dates back to 2018.

Similarly, Vardy has also been in a drought since his two-goal performance against Bologna, yet he may still team up with Federico Bonazzoli in the forward line.

While the English striker was sidelined during Cremonese’s win against Parma due to injury, he is anticipated to replace Antonio Sanabria in the starting lineup – the latter is currently dealing with a pelvic injury acquired during national duty with Paraguay.

Although Warren Bondo will return from suspension and the dominant centre-back Federico Baschirotto has resumed full training, Michele Collocolo will join Sanabria on the injury list.

Cremonese probable starting XI:

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

Bologna probable starting XI:

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

In the last ten league encounters between these teams, seven have ended in a draw, which might be the result once more.

Cremonese, facing relegation fears, will be driven under the new management of Giampaolo, yet Bologna’s resilience away from home suggests they should at least secure one point from this fixture.