GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
Saturday sees the visit of Bologna to the Stadio Olimpico, as Roma look to keep the pressure on the four sides currently ahead of them in the table. Bologna, meanwhile, lie in 11th place at present, with four wins, four losses and two draws to their name. What can Eusebio Di Francesco's men expect from their opponents?
Form: As suggested by their league standing, Bologna are having a fairly balanced season so far. They have lost their previous two games, against Lazio and Atalanta, but won three on the bounce before that. Critically, they have failed to score more than one goal in five of their last six matches, a 2-1 win over Spal being the exception. This is clearly something that they will be hoping to improve upon if they are to have any serious ambitions for the year. The Coach: Roberto Donadoni Tomorrow will mark the second anniversary of the former Milan midfielder's appointment at Bologna. It is his second longest spell as a coach, having lasted 141 matches in his previous job at Parma. The 54-year-old has done a relatively good job at the club, achieving a 14th placed finish in their first season back in the top flight, and leading them to 15th last season. So, it has been a process of stabilisation in Serie A for his team, and he is helping them to achieve this. Like Di Francesco, he favours a 4-3-3 formation. The Key Player: Simone Verdi One player who will be hoping to have an impact for the visitors tomorrow is Simone Verdi. The winger - who made his Italy debut this year - has got one goal and one assist in ten appearances so far. He will aim to get at Roma's defence using his dribbling; he has been successful in 63.64% of his take-ons this season. The Familiar Face: Mattia Destro Returning to the Olimpico will be former Roma striker Mattia Destro. Destro never really got as much game time in the capital as he would have liked, despite having a good goals-to-game ratio. Joining Bologna in 2015, he has gone on to score 19 goals for his new side, and will be eager to prove a point against the club that sold him. Also on Bologna's books is ex-Roma full back Vasilis Torosidis, who unfortunately will be injured for the game. Prediction: Roma need a confidence boost after successive 1-0 wins, with both goals coming from dead balls. They will be hoping to find the net more easily against Bologna, so they can enter the crucial midweek Champions League clash with Chelsea in buoyant fashion. It won't necessarily be easy for Roma, but they should be disappointed if they fail to produce a victory.
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samuel bannister
Founder and editor of Giallorossi Yorkshire, who is also a columnist for Roma's official website about the women's team. Categories
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October 2019
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