Verdict: Home win
Best odds:
Bookmaker: Unibet
At the midpoint of Serie A, Fiorentina and Bologna, separated by a single level within the league standings, are set to collide within the Coppa Italia quarterfinals on Tuesday night.
Fiorentina intention for his or her seventh nationwide cup and presently maintain the next place within the league in comparison with Bologna. However, Bologna’s latest overcome Inter Milan within the final-16 stage has ignited aspirations of securing their first Coppa Italia victory in 50 years.
Fiorentina
Fiorentina, final yr’s runners-up within the Coppa Italia, have their sights set on redeeming themselves this season and clinching the trophy in Rome after their painful loss to Inter within the 2023 closing.
Despite additionally going through defeat within the Europa Conference League closing, the Viola stay decided to satisfy their starvation for silverware. Coach Vincenzo Italiano has allotted vital sources to each competitions this time period, alongside efforts to enhance their league standings.
While their league kind has proven indicators of enchancment, Fiorentina, who final lifted the Coppa Italia in 2001, secured development to the Europa Conference League knockout part. They navigated a difficult Coppa Italia tie in opposition to Parma at Stadio Artemio Franchi final month. Despite trailing by two targets with simply ten minutes remaining, late strikes from M’Bala Nzola and Riccardo Sottil pushed the sport to additional time in opposition to the Serie B leaders. Parma finally succumbed to strain throughout a penalty shootout.
Fiorentina’s latest rise in Serie A, marked by three consecutive victories with out conceding a objective, has positioned them in rivalry for a prime-4 spot. However, their encounter in opposition to struggling Sassuolo on Saturday ended with a slim defeat following Andrea Pinamonti’s early objective in Reggio Emilia.
Italiano’s focus now shifts to the staff’s upcoming fixtures earlier than their journey to Saudi Arabia for the Supercoppa Italiana: a league conflict in opposition to Udinese on Sunday and a midweek cup contest in opposition to a staff they beforehand defeated 2-1 in November.
Team News
Fiorentina will proceed to overlook the providers of wingers Nico Gonzalez and Riccardo Sottil on Tuesday on account of ongoing thigh accidents. Additionally, lengthy-time period absentees Dodo and Gaetano Castrovilli stay unavailable.
With Christian Kouame representing Ivory Coast on the AFCON, one other broad possibility is absent for Fiorentina. Recent reviews recommend the membership’s recruitment staff is actively in search of new additions by way of the switch market to be able to rectify this situation. Meanwhile, heart-ahead M’Bala Nzola declined a name-up from Angola and can compete with Lucas Beltran for a beginning place up entrance.
There’s a risk that goalscoring defender Luca Ranieri and cup goalkeeper Oliver Christensen is perhaps included within the beginning lineup for the hosts.
Bologna
In their latest go to to the Stadio Franchi, Bologna skilled a defeat in opposition to Fiorentina regardless of star striker Joshua Zirkzee leveling the rating with a penalty after an early setback. Nico Gonzalez secured victory for the hosts by changing a second-half spot-kick, leaving Bologna empty-handed.
In that recreation, Thiago Motta’s staff encountered a uncommon setback of their in any other case spectacular run, which had propelled them into the highest 4 of the Italian standings for some time. However, a post-Christmas dip in kind has seen the Emilian membership slip simply behind Fiorentina.
This decline in efficiency included a shocking 3-0 loss to Udinese, solely their second defeat for the reason that begin of the season, and a late Lorenzo Di Silvestri equalizer salvaged a draw in opposition to Genoa at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on Friday.
Despite their latest stumble, Bologna have displayed dominance of their residence video games, remaining unbeaten of their final 10 matches at residence, successful eight. In the sooner rounds of the cup, they defeated Cesena and Hellas Verona. On the opposite hand, their performances away from residence have been much less spectacular.
In the Serie A, Bologna have managed only one victory on the highway to date. Still, their most notable away success this season was a exceptional comeback within the final-16 stage of the Coppa Italia in opposition to holders Inter. Zirkzee’s instrumental contributions, establishing each targets within the second half of additional time, surprised San Siro and propelled Bologna into the quarterfinals in opposition to Fiorentina, providing an opportunity to face both Milan or Atalanta BC within the semifinals.
Team News
Bologna could have versatile midfielder Lewis Ferguson obtainable once more after serving a Serie A suspension of their final match in opposition to Genoa. However, Jesper Karlsson, Adama Soumaoro, and Dan Ndoye who secured the win within the final-16 match, stay sidelined on account of damage.
The goalkeeping determination between Lukasz Skorupski and Federico Ravaglia stays unsure, whereas Sam Beukema and Alexis Saelemaekers, on mortgage from Milan, are robust candidates for inclusion within the beginning lineup.
Zirkzee, the standout performer for Bologna within the earlier spherical at San Siro, obtained his fifth reserving of the season and can serve a suspension within the upcoming Cagliari match on the weekend. Consequently, the previous Bayern Munich participant is more likely to begin in Florence for the Coppa Italia conflict in opposition to Fiorentina.
Conclusion
At the second, Fiorentina sorely lack high quality choices on the attacking flank, whereas Bologna have confirmed able to hurting even one of the best.
Nonetheless, assured after this specific opponent was crushed within the league, and boosted by the assist from the stands of the Artemio Franchi, Fiorentina ought to have sufficient of their locker to safe a spot within the semifinals.
Verdict: Home win
Best odds:
Bookmaker: Unibet
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