Sassuolo vs. Bologna – News and Probable Lineups

In the midst of a significant European tie, Bologna will head to nearby Sassuolo for a Serie A derby on Sunday afternoon.

After the Rossoblu drew the initial match in their Italian encounter in the Europa League, they must gear up for another challenge this weekend; a loss would drop them below their regional rivals.

Match overview

Competing to be the remaining Italian side in this season’s Europa League, Bologna faced Roma at Stadio Dall’Ara last Thursday, with a quarter-final clash against either Lille or Aston Villa on the line.

The first leg concluded with a 1-1 draw, with the hosts initially taking the lead through Federico Bernardeschi’s stunning goal, and Martin Vitik later hitting the crossbar, leaving the tie finely balanced before the teams meet again in Rome.

Bologna must first turn their attention back to their Serie A campaign, which has encountered difficulties since losing its way in November: the Rossoblu have already recorded 11 league defeats—three more than they had last season.

However, Vincenzo Italiano’s team managed to string together five victories across all competitions before playing Hellas Verona last week—a match they led but ended up suffering their fifth loss in the last eight league games.

This inconsistency will be a worry for Italiano, whose squad famously clinched the Coppa Italia last year but are now fighting to secure a third consecutive season in European competition.

In fact, if results do not go their way this weekend, Bologna could drop to 10th place when they visit the ninth-placed side in Serie A.

After a 1-1 draw in their previous meeting in December, Sassuolo has managed just one victory in their last eight Emilian derbies against Bologna, with that only win coming in May 2022.

To date, the Neroverdi have claimed triumph in only two of their ten Serie A encounters at home; however, a win on Sunday would allow them to leapfrog their Rossoblu opponents into eighth place.

Recent performances indicate they may achieve this, as Fabio Grosso’s side has secured three wins in their last four home matches, following only one victory in the seven prior.

Although they faced a late defeat against Lazio on Monday night, Sassuolo remains comfortably in mid-table without fears of a swift descent to Serie B.

Having been promoted back to Italy’s top division last summer, Grosso and his team are even surpassing expectations, making a victory over Bologna an added bonus.

Team News

Italiano’s approach to team selection may consider Bologna’s significant Europa League trip to Rome, so some changes to the lineup could be anticipated.

Defensive pair Torbjorn Heggem and Juan Miranda returned to the squad against Roma, but club captain Lewis Ferguson is now sidelined due to suspension.

Santiago Castro and Riccardo Orsolini are Bologna’s joint top scorers with seven goals each, while Jon Rowe scored his first Serie A goal last week and assisted Bernardeschi’s finish on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Sassuolo’s key player may be long-serving winger Domenico Berardi, but Armand Lauriente has contributed to goals in each of his last four outings.

The two linked up with M’Bala Nzola on Monday, as first-choice striker Andrea Pinamonti served a ban; the latter is expected to regain his position.

In terms of injuries, Alieu Fadera, Daniel Boloca, and ACL victim Fali Cande remain out of contention.

Sassuolo probable starting XI:

Muric; Walukiewicz, Muharemovic, Idzes, Garcia; Thorstvedt, Matic, Kone; Berardi, Pinamonti, Lauriente

Bologna probable starting XI:

Skorupski; Zortea, Lucumi, Vitik, Lykogiannis; Pobega, Freuler, Moro; Orsolini, Dallinga, Rowe

Given Bologna’s focus on their European fixtures—and Sassuolo’s relative strength at home—the hosts could secure a rare derby win this weekend.

Rossoblu coach Italiano may also rotate his squad, enabling Grosso and his team to capitalize fully.