Sports Mole previews Friday’s Serie A clash between Torino and Bologna, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Torino seek to end a four-match winless Serie A run when they welcome Champions League hopefuls Bologna to Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in gameweek 35’s clash on Friday.
Ivan Juric‘s men have not scored in three consecutive matches, seeing their outside chance of European football fade, and this weekend’s game against a leading side in the competition presents another opportunity to end the wretched sequence.
Match preview
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Torino had little chance of throwing a spanner in the works to Inter Milan’s ambition of ending the campaign with 100 points, and it played out that way as Juric’s men lost 2-0 at San Siro.
That loss means the Turin-based club have remained winless in four matches in Serie A, failing to find the net in three games against Juventus (0-0), Frosinone (0-0) and at the home of the league champions.
It remains to be seen if the Granata find the net against the division’s third-best defence (27 goals conceded), having hitherto fired blanks in every game against teams with the best defensive returns in Italy’s top division — Inter (18), Juventus (26) and Bologna.
Given Torino’s inclination to keep games tight, it points to another close match in Turin on Friday, meaning the home support should not expect a high-scoring gameweek 35 fixture.
Of the sides in the top half, Torino’s 15 home goals are the fewest, underlining where the issues are for the hosts heading into this weekend’s encounter.
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Juric’s side are unlikely to end in the European positions — they sit nine points adrift of seventh-placed Lazio — but could hurt Bologna’s prospects of playing continental football in Europe’s top-tier club competition.
While that eventuality is improbable for Thiago Motta‘s men, who currently sit fourth in the league, four ahead of Roma in fifth and six above sixth-placed Atalanta, who have played one fewer game.
The Rossoblu missed last week’s opportunity to move level with Juventus in third, drawing 1-1 at home against relegation-threatened Udinese having seen Massimiliano Allegri‘s men drop points a day earlier in the 0-0 draw at AC Milan.
However, ending in a Champions League position remains the goal for Motta’s side, whose overperformance in Serie A has been one of the campaign’s incredible stories.
After struggling on their travels before the turn of the year — Motta’s men notched one win in nine road matches — the Emilia-Romagna outfit have claimed four victories from the next six, drawing at AC Milan (2-2) and Frosinone (0-0).
That should give the travelling fans confidence to extend that run to seven away matches without losing, keen to add to their five road triumphs this term.
Torino Serie A form:
Bologna Serie A form:
Team News
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Adrien Tameze was sent off at the start of the second half at Inter, ruling out the midfield man of Friday’s game.
Saba Sazonov (knee), Gvidas Gineitis (knee), Koffi Djidji (muscle) and Perr Schuurs (ACL) are not anticipated to feature for the hosts because of injuries.
Sam Beukema was sent off after receiving two yellows against Udinese, and the Bologna centre-back will serve his one-game suspension against Bologna.
Lewis Ferguson (ACL), Adama Soumaoro (ACL) and Jens Odgaard (hamstring) are missing this weekend due to injury issues.
Joshua Zirkzee has netted in three of the Rossoblu’s last four away games, while Oussama El Azzouzi has scored in two, and the pair hope to make a telling impact on Friday.
Torino possible starting lineup:
Milinkovic-Savic; Bellanova, Buongiorno, Lovato, Rodriguez; Linetty, Ricci, Ilic; Lazaro, Vlasic; Zapata
Bologna possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; Posch, Lucumi, Calafiori, Kristiansen; Freuler; Ndoye, Aebischer, El Azzouzi, Saelemaekers; Zirkzee
We say: Torino 0-1 Bologna
Friday’s game is expected to be low-scoring, with Torino failing to score in four of their last five home matches (three goalless games). Bologna have scored in 12 of their 16 away games this term, and Motta’s side could nick the odd goal required to win this one, even if many observers will expect a goalless encounter.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.