Salernitana-Bologna is a Serie A Week 27 match to be played on Saturday at 18:00: odds, predictions, TV and streaming.
Paulo Sousa, as well as trying to change Salernitana’s mentality, has immediately picked up important points that have improved the granata’s standings. The risk of being sucked in again is still there and it is quite real, but for now seven points ahead of third-last Verona are enough to be able to live this final part of the season in serenity. The trend, meanwhile, is no longer that of the last part of Nicola’s management.
After the difficult debut against Lazio, the Portuguese coach has opened a positive mini-series of three matches: the roaring success against Monza was followed by the two draws against Sampdoria and Milan. The one at the San Siro against the Rossoneri (1-1), who were caught up in the second half thanks to a goal from centre-forward Dia, had the taste of a feat. A point that equals another small step towards salvation that is anything but a foregone conclusion, especially in the days following the exoneration of the Piedmontese coach, who in the last period had given the feeling of having lost his bearings. With Sousa, a coach with distinctly offensive ideas, Salernitana have also rediscovered a certain solidity in the non-possession phase, as demonstrated by the fact that they have conceded just one goal between Monza, Salernitana and AC Milan. Not bad for the second worst defence in Serie A after Cremonese (45 goals conceded).
Bologna, no clean sheet on away goals
Bologna are fighting for different goals this year as they have 10 points more than the Granata and are trying to see if there are margins to contend for a place in Europe with the two Torinese.
Barrow
On paper, everything is still possible – Juve are only two points up, Toro one – but there has been a slowdown in the last two games, between the defeat with the granata and the white-net draw with Lazio. Two matches in which the Felsinei, now ninth, have not scored a single goal, a not exactly comforting sign for an attack that has never scored more than two goals per game in 2023. The previous stats show that there is a great balance between these two teams, who have had two wins on each side and three draws in Serie A. Curiously, Bologna are one of two sides, along with Cremonese, to have never kept their goals unbeaten on the road.
Salernitana-Bologna: latest line-up info
Sousa is expected to return to the 3-4-2-1, with Kastanos and Candreva behind Dia, again preferred to Piatek. In midfield Bohinen has the advantage in the duel with Maggiore and is likely to play alongside Coulibaly. Mazzocchi and Bradaric on the outside. Three forfeits for the Lusitanian coach: Troost-Ekong, Fazio and Crnigoj will not see each other before April.
In Bologna, Arnautovic is heading for a new bench. Thiago Motta currently prefers him to Barrow and against Lazio a week ago, the Serbian centre forward did not hide his disappointment. Aebischer and Orsolini will battle it out on the right wing, while Moro will be confirmed in place of the out-of-form Schouten in the midfield.
The prediction
Despite the recent numbers, Salernitana and Bologna should score at least one goal each in the Arechi match. The Granata have shown that they have an edge at home and are perhaps hungrier for points than the Rossoblù: it cannot be ruled out that they can at least avoid defeat, taking another step towards safety.
Salernitana v Bologna matchday squad
- SALERNITANA (3-4-2-1): Ochoa; Gyomber, Daniliuc, Pirola; Mazzocchi, Coulibaly, Bohinen, Bradaric; Candreva, Kastanos; Dia.
- BOLOGNA (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Posch, Soumaoro, Lucumì, Cambiaso; Moro, Schouten; Aebischer, Ferguson, Soriano; Barrrow.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
