Bolognavs.Lecce

Following a two-month drought, the Salentini were also overdue winners earlier this week, but they remain mired inside the drop zone.

Match preview

After recording just one win in 11 games since taking charge of Bologna, Vincenzo Italiano was desperate to taste success against Serie A strugglers Cagliari on Tuesday evening.

The Rossoblu's previous fixture, versus AC Milan, had been postponed due to flooding in the Emilia-Romagna region, so Italiano had a full week to prepare his team, who have also been below-par in the Champions League.

One goal either side of half time earned Bologna's second win of the campaign across all competitions, as Riccardo Orsolini and Jens Odgaard struck in Sardinia, taking them into the top half of the table.

They have now scored twice in four consecutive top-flight away games - doing so for the first time in 20 years - but Italiano's men are yet to replicate such form at the Dall'Ara.

In addition to sharing the spoils with Shakhtar Donetsk, Bologna have drawn all four home games in Serie A so far, while an overall total of six league draws leaves them level with Juventus as Italy's single-point specialists.

While Bologna had been awaiting victory for several weeks before conquering Cagliari, ahead of a midweek win over Hellas Verona, Lecce's last success had come way back in August.

After also waiting 442 minutes for a goal, Luca Gotti's side edged past their nine-man opponents on Tuesday night, ending a run of four straight defeats in which they had shipped 11 and scored none.

In-demand winger Patrick Dorgu was the decisive figure at Stadio Via del Mare, where he had a goal disallowed before making a major impact later on.

The Danish star played a key role in Verona going down to 10 men by drawing a foul from Jackson Tchatchoua, then headed home what proved to be the winner - initially flagged for offside, his crucial goal was eventually green-lighted by the VAR.

Sitting second-bottom of Serie A, the Salentini are still deep in danger, and while Gotti will be pleased with a rare clean sheet, he is acutely aware of Lecce's most glaring weakness: they have scored just four league goals so far.

Bologna Serie A form:

D

W

D

D

D

W

Bologna form (all competitions):

D

L

D

D

L

W

Lecce Serie A form:

D

L

L

L

L

W

Lecce form (all competitions):

L

L

L

L

L

W

Team News

Renowned for his frequent personnel changes, Bologna boss Vincenzo Italiano will most likely tinker with a winning team - particularly with big games against Monaco and Roma coming up next week.

He must again decide who leads the line up front, with teenage striker Santiago Castro generally preferred to Dutch forward Thijs Dallinga as the Rossoblu's attacking spearhead.

Nikolo Moro and Tommaso Pobega are the main candidates to replace the injured Michel Aebischer over the next couple of months, after the Swiss midfielder underwent groin surgery; Martin Erlic, Oussama El Azzouzi and Nicolo Cambiaghi are also sidelined.

Meanwhile, Lecce will be missing Medon Berisha, Filip Marchwinski and Bologna loanee Kevin Bonifazi due to injury.

Patrick Dorgu and Montenegrin striker Nikola Krstovic have both netted two league goals so far this season, accounting for the Giallorossi's entire Serie A tally between them.

Bologna possible starting lineup:

Ravaglia; Posch, Beukema, Casale, Miranda; Freuler, Pobega; Orsolini, Fabbian, Ndoye; Castro

Lecce possible starting lineup:

Falcone; Guilbert, Gaspar, Baschirotto, Gallo; Coulibaly, Ramadani, Rafia; Dorgu, Krstovic, Banda

We say: Bologna 1-0 Lecce

Finally, the Dall'Ara faithful will be treated to a home victory, as Bologna must surely put away a Lecce side lacking punch and prone to conceding plenty of goals.

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