Burkina Faso
Croatia
Czech Republic
Indonesia
International Tournaments
Nigeria
Republic OF Ireland
South Africa

Bolognavs.Dortmund

sportsmole.co.uk, 19 January 2025, 13:36
Bologna host Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, with the home team still seeking their first win in the competition this season.

The visitors come into this fixture just outside the automatic qualification spots for the knockout stages, so they will have plenty of incentive to win in Italy.

Match preview

Bologna have had a troubled season in Europe, and having suffered four defeats from their first six games, they only have two points on the board so far in the standings.

I Rossoblu qualified for the top-level of European football for the first time since 1964-65 with a fifth-place finish in Serie A last season, and they entered the competition full of optimism under new head coach Vincenzo Italiano.

Italiano replaced outgoing boss Thiago Motta in the summer, with the former Paris-Saint Germain midfielder departing for Juventus last June.

Under their new head coach, their inexperience at this level has shown, with the club struggling to perform at both ends of the pitch in Europe.

Bologna have scored just once in the Champions League this season, while conceding seven times, making them the competition's lowest-scoring side.

With eight points the maximum total that they can achieve, the hosts are on the brink of elimination from the competition - with only three teams in the playoff positions mathematically possible to catch for the Italian side, their chances of reaching the knockout stages are very slim.

Overall, this campaign has also not reached the same heights as last year just yet, with a slow start to the season seeing Italiano's team begin his reign with just one win in their first 11 matches.

Seven wins from their next 12 games in all competitions saw a big improvement in form in Serie A, before ending 2024 with a 3-2 defeat to Hellas Verona in December.

They began 2025 with back-to-back draws with Roma and Inter Milan, before a 3-1 win against Monza on Saturday left them in sixth in Serie A, to continue their unbeaten start to the year heading into this crunch clash.

Meanwhile, their visitors have enjoyed a far better year in Europe, as they sit ninth in the table, with 12 points from their six games.

Beaten finalists in this competition last season, Dortmund were always among the favourites to qualify for the knockout phase automatically, and a strong finish to the group would help ensure that they do.

Emphatic wins against the likes of Celtic, Club Brugge and Dinamo Zagreb have ensured a healthy goal difference, despite defeats to the heavyweights of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

However, Dortmund's good form in Europe has yet to be replicated in the league, as they disappointingly find themselves in 10th place in the Bundesliga.

Their 2-0 defeat away to Frankfurt on Friday evening was already their 10th loss of the season in all competitions, with BVB finding life difficult under Nuri Sahin, who replaced former boss Edin Terzic in the summer.

With the visitors performing below expectations, there has been plenty of speculation surrounding Sahin's future at the club, with some recent media reports linking former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag with the role.

Sahin will hope that his side can continue to perform in Europe, as they are the second-highest scoring team in the Champions League this season, with their 18 goals only bettered by Barcelona, who have struck 21 times.

Up against a goal-shy Bologna team, they will fancy their chances of keeping a clean sheet in Italy, but the Serie A side have managed two clean sheets themselves in the tournament, meaning that goals at the other end are far from guaranteed.

Dortmund will look to improve on their miserable away record this season, with the Bundesliga club losing eight times already on the road this season in all competitions.

With just one win in their last eight matches in all competitions, including three consecutive defeats at the beginning of 2025, Sahin's future may well depend on the outcome of this match.

Bologna Champions League form:

D

L

L

L

L

D

Bologna form (all competitions):

W

W

L

D

D

W

Borussia Dortmund Champions League form:

W

W

L

W

W

L

Borussia Dortmund form (all competitions):

L

D

W

L

L

L

Team News

Bologna's main injury concern ahead of this clash is Swiss midfielder Michel Aebischer, who is sidelined with a hernia problem.

Long-term absentees Nicolo Cambiaghi and Oussama El Azzouzi have returned to training but are not expected to return to action just yet.

Meanwhile, the visitors will be without Niklas Sule, who is out until next month with an ankle injury.

Fellow defender Ramy Bensebaini is suspended for this clash after picking up his third yellow card of the group phase last time out against Barcelona.

Bologna possible starting lineup:

Skorupski; Lykogiannis, Casale, Beukema, Holm; Moro, Freuler, Orsolini, Odgaard, Ndoye; Castro

Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:

Kobel; Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Kabar; Can, Gross, Nmecha; Brandt, Bynoe-Gittens, Guirassy

We say: Bologna 0-1 Borussia Dortmund

It has been a tough start for the year for Dortmund and with the pressure on their boss, we think they will grab a win that will keep Sahin in his job at least a little longer.

Written by

Tom Humphrey

Previews by email
Show more

Top News

2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk West Ham United have reportedly agreed a deal with Brighton & Hove Albion to loan Evan Ferguson. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Lens defender Kevin Danso on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Jim White and his yellow tie. Harry Redknapp leaning out of his car window to exchange pleasantries with reporters. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa will reportedly have the chance to sign Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford on a permanent basis during this summer's transfer window for £40m. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly considering making an attempt to sign Aston Villa attacker Leon Bailey on loan for the second half of the 2024-25 campaign, as the Red Devils looks to bring in a replacement for Marcus Rashford. 2 February 2025 talksport.com Marcus Rashford was told Ruben Amorim would not play him at Manchester United if he stayed at the club, talkSPORT understands. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid suffered a major blow during Saturday's shock 1-0 defeat to Espanyol, with Antonio Rudiger being forced off in the first half of the La Liga contest with a suspected muscular problem. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk All transfer business is done and dusted for this season, but that doesn't stop clubs from preparing ahead for next season. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Adana Demirspor vs. Kasimpasa (Sunday, 10.30am) With each passing gameweek in the 2024-25 Turkish Super Lig, Adana Demirspor's hopes of avoiding relegation continue to fade, and the league's bottom side will look to keep their survival dreams alive when they host Kasimpasa at the New Adana Stadium on Sunday. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Sporting Lisbon vs. Farense (Sunday, 6.00pm) Fresh off the back of reaching the Champions League knockout phase, Sporting Lisbon welcome SC Farense to the Estadio Jose Alvalade in round 20 of the Primeira Liga on Sunday. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Almere City vs. RKC Waalwijk (Sunday, 11.15am) With both teams running out of time to preserve their Eredivisie status, Almere City and RKC Waalwijk will do battle at the Yanmar Stadion on Sunday afternoon. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona vs. Alaves (Sunday, 1.00pm) Barcelona's pursuit of La Liga leaders Real Madrid will continue on Sunday afternoon, when they welcome struggling Alaves to Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys for a must-win contest. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Juventus vs. Empoli (Sunday, 11.30am) After back-to-back defeats, Juventus will seek an end to their three-game winless streak on Sunday, when they welcome Serie A strugglers Empoli to Turin. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Frankfurt vs. Wolfsburg (Sunday, 2.30pm) Eintracht Frankfurt's home clash against Wolfsburg at Deutsche Bank Park on Sunday in the Bundesliga could be hugely significant in the race for Champions League football. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Toulouse vs. Nice (Sunday, 2.00pm) Europe hopefuls Toulouse welcome Champions League-chasing Nice in Sunday's gameweek 20 Ligue 1 action at Stadium de Toulouse. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Motherwell vs. Celtic (Sunday, 3.00pm) Motherwell, looking to rebound from three consecutive defeats, will host Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic at Fir Park on Sunday afternoon. 2 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk The opening match in the Coupe de France round of 16 will see Dunkerque seeking an upset victory over Lille on Tuesday at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. 1 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Troyes will seek a place in the Coupe de France quarter-finals for the first time in a dozen years when they host Brest on Tuesday at Stade de l'Aube. 1 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea are in negotiations with Borussia Dortmund over a deal to send midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka on loan to the Signal Iduna Park, according to a report. 1 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tyrell Malacia's proposed loan move from Manchester United to Benfica has reportedly collapsed due to the Portuguese side failing to meet the Red Devils' demands. 1 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed that influential attacker Matheus Cunha has signed a new contract at the club until the summer of 2029. 1 February 2025 talksport.com Jude Bellingham was every football fan as the Real Madrid star reacted in awe to Chris Wood's hat-trick. 1 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Carlos Romero scored the only goal of the match as Espanyol recorded a shock 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in Saturday night's La Liga contest in Catalonia. 1 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to hijack Wolverhampton Wanderers' proposed move for Lens defender Kevin Danso, who is now on his way to North London. 1 February 2025 talksport.com Tottenham have hijacked Wolves' deal to sign Kevin Danso on a permanent basis, talkSPORT understands. 1 February 2025 talksport.com Arsenal must take full advantage of Manchester City's makeshift defence to keep their faint Premier League title hopes alive. 1 February 2025 talksport.com Fabian Hurzeler has been branded as a 'disgrace' for seemingly failing to acknowledge Brighton's travelling fans following their record defeat. 1 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has admitted that he is concerned by the injury that Trent Alexander-Arnold suffered during Saturday's Premier League clash with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. 1 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund has explained why Mathys Tel was not involved in Saturday's Bundesliga contest with Holstein Kiel. 1 February 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Galatasaray will look to keep their title charge on track when they travel to face Gaziantep at the Gaziantep Stadium on Monday.