Napoli vs Bologna – News and Probable Lineups

With their spot in next season’s Champions League nearly secured, Napoli will seek to finalize that objective on Monday as they take on Bologna at Stadio Maradona.

Now formerly the Serie A champions, the Partenopei still have a chance to finish in second place, while their opponents find themselves in the midst of mid-table obscurity.

Match overview

Having accepted the inevitability of relinquishing the Scudetto, Napoli observed from a distance as Inter de Milão claimed their title as Italy’s leading team last weekend, officially concluding their championship run.

Always demanding, Antonio Conte will ensure his players stay focused, as they are still engaged in a tight battle for a top-four finish with three matches left.

With their Champions League spot not yet guaranteed, the Partenopei face a reasonably favorable end to the season; after the match against Bologna, they will duel relegated Pisa followed by Udinese.

Moreover, fifth-placed Roma are trailing by six points, meaning only a significant collapse would prevent Napoli from securing their spot.

After a stroke of fortune last week when their game against Como ended without goals – their third draw this season within 90 minutes – Conte’s squad returns to their stronghold in Naples.

Before facing Bologna – whom they previously defeated 2-0 in the Supercoppa Italiana semi-finals – Napoli has triumphed in 20 of their last 28 Serie A home encounters, losing just once.

Bologna, of course, earned their Supercoppa appearance thanks to a memorable Coppa Italia victory about a year ago, but their current season is now dwindling.

Having been held to a 0-0 draw at home by Cagliari last weekend, the Emilian side has been unable to find the back of the net in their last three Serie A matches since their exit from the Europa League.

It appears increasingly unlikely that they will finish in the top half, and even landing in seventh place would only lead to Conference League qualification if Inter claims victory in Wednesday’s cup final.

With UEFA competition slipping out of reach, Vincenzo Italiano’s squad has less to fight for, yet they will strive to continue their decent away form.

In sharp contrast to a poor home record in 2026, Bologna have the sixth-best away performance in Serie A, with recent results against Napoli indicating they might approach this fixture with some optimism.

Although they succumbed in the Supercoppa encounter in December, the Rossoblu have managed to secure just one loss in their last six league encounters, including a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture last November.

Team News

Napoli’s captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo made his return to the bench last week, and the seasoned defender could finally be back in action on Monday evening after being sidelined since January.

With Antonio Vergara also back to full training, the only players still unavailable are Romelu Lukaku and David Neres.

With the injury list easing, Conte may opt for an unchanged starting XI, featuring top scorer Rasmus Hojlund, who has netted ten goals, in a 3-4-2-1 setup.

Just behind him, former Manchester United player Scott McTominay has scored nine goals in Serie A, and he will likely be eager to reach the double-digit mark within the next three matchdays.

Bologna’s top scorer is Riccardo Orsolini; however, most of his eight goals were scored prior to Christmas, and he has yet to find the net in any of the 13 league matches against Napoli.

Scoring has been a significant concern for the Rossoblu in recent weeks – their last goal came five games ago against Lecce – and Jens Odgaard has struggled since stepping in as a false nine.

Thus, Santiago Castro is anticipated to be recalled on Monday, while fellow forward Thijs Dallinga is expected to return from injury.

The visitors will be without Nicolo Cambiaghi, Martin Vitik, and Nicolo Casale, but Joao Mario is back fit, and first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski may rejoin the squad following a seven-week absence.

Napoli probable starting XI

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

Bologna probable starting XI

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

Bologna aim for their first Serie A double over Napoli since 2002, but they are in poor form, with only three teams having a worse record against top-half teams.

None of the last 12 league encounters in Naples have ended in a draw; the hosts have secured nine victories, and this trend is expected to continue with another home win on Monday.