- Head-to-head: Bologna have won 4 of the last 10 competitive head-to-heads between the two sides, including a 3-1 away win in Serie A in April 2024.
- Recent meeting: Roma have won 3 of the same 10 competitive meetings and edged Bologna 1-0 at home in Serie A in August 2025.
Bologna will be solid and smart
Tactics and form
Bologna F.C. will be a solid, smart and tough nut to crack for AS Roma in the first leg of their all-Italian UEFA Europa League 2025-2026 Round of 16 showdown that begins in Bologna on Thursday. Bologna have been in top form of late, winning four of their last five matches in all competitions, a run only broken by the 1-2 away defeat to Hellas Verona on 8 March.
Bologna’s coach Vincenzo Italiano, a highly organised tactician, gets his side to play a patient, possession-based game with a compact, high-energy style that has led to both cup and European qualification this season. He won the Serie A coach-of-the-month award this season.
Bologna's recent run has been built on defensive solidity. The Rossoblu have conceded only two goals in their last five in all competitions.
Key players
- Riccardo Orsolini is their main attacking threat, a winger who comes inside to play, and Bologna have a number of other players who can score goals or create chances from midfield, wing-back and striker positions.
- Jens Odgaard has come off the bench to deliver clutch goals.
- Midfielders Pablo Pobega and Ryan Ferguson anchor transitions and set-piece danger while Santiago Castro runs the channels and pushes up to get on the end of things.
Roma are playing with some real flair
Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma are a very different type of Italian football team to Bologna F.C. as the hosts will discover when the Giallorossi arrive in Bologna to unleash their high-energy pressing game. Roma’s 3-4-2-1 system is based around intense, high pressure in the attacking third and overloading the wings with the two wing-backs and wide forwards.
The visitors are playing with some flair at the moment and are very well placed in fourth with 51 points from 27 games in the Serie A table. Bologna are eighth with 39 points from 28 and will need to find the right balance between domestic and European objectives to make progress in the Europa League.
Roma have shown occasional defensive fragility in Serie A, with several 2-goal concessions in recent draws and losses. Bologna are a team that will sit in and try to overload the central areas while Roma are a wide-focused side, so the matchup should be interesting in terms of which team dominates the transitions.
Dybala’s absence may be crucial
Roma are without Paulo Dybala after the Argentinian forward had knee surgery and his creativity and finishing could be crucial to this clash over two legs. The Giallorossi have other attacking quality in Donyell Malen, MatĂas SoulĂ© and Lorenzo Pellegrini, while Bryan Cristante provides leadership and set-piece ability.
Roma have a deeper squad than Bologna and are higher placed in the Italian top-flight, so are more likely to come out on top over two legs. However, the home side have been in such good form of late, with a few 1-0 wins under their belt, and will be in the mix for a draw in this fixture with Roma not getting the usual travelling contingent because of ticket restrictions.
There will be an Italian pride and bragging rights at stake in this clash of two very different philosophies and this fixture will be about transitions and wing play. The weather forecast is for cool temperatures and partly cloudy skies with fog in Bologna, which shouldn’t affect the game too much.
Under 2.5 goals is the play here at 1.64 and should be a good value pick for what should be a tactical first leg.
