Preview: Bologna vs. Torino - prediction, team news, lineups

Having posted three consecutive victories since losing the Turin derby, the Granata are enjoying their most fruitful spell of the season; their hosts, meanwhile, beat Monza last time out in Serie A and now sit comfortably in mid-table.

Match preview

After failing to inspire an upturn in results since his appointment as Bologna boss earlier this season, Thiago Motta's record looks significantly better after events in the past fortnight.

Back-to-back wins, albeit both against promoted sides, have lifted his team away from the Serie A drop zone and given the former Spezia coach some breathing space in the Dall'Ara dugout.

Following a Coppa Italia success against second-tier Cagliari, the Rossoblu saw off the challenge of Lecce two weeks ago, then managed to pull off a spirited comeback against Monza on Monday night.

Without top scorer Marko Arnautovic, it was down to Lewis Ferguson and substitute winger Riccardo Orsolini to score the goals which earned Bologna all three points in Lombardy, after they had fallen behind just short of the hour mark.

On Sunday, the Emilian club could win successive Serie A home games for the first time since September 2021, which demonstrates their lack of consistency over the past year.

With games against Inter and local rivals Sassuolo to come before the World Cup break, they may feel their best chance of progressing further up the table is to take down Torino on home soil.

Including a goalless draw when the sides last met, back in March, Torino have lost just one of their last 10 Serie A matches against Bologna, with that solitary defeat coming as long ago as March 2019.

The Turin club will have every reason to hope for another positive result from their latest trip to Emilia-Romagna, as - like their hosts - they start Sunday's early kickoff on the back of three straight successes in league and cup.

The most notable of all came last weekend, when Ivan Juric's men defied a rotten record versus Milan - which had seen them go without scoring past the Rossoneri for nearly 500 minutes - to stun their visitors with a 2-1 win.

Two goals in quick succession, from Koffi Djidji and Aleksey Miranchuk, set them on their way, and despite the Scudetto holders striking back via a controversial Junior Messias goal later on - shortly after which Juric was sent to the stands - Il Toro held out for three precious points.

Having previously beaten Cittadella in the Coppa Italia and Udinese in the league, Torino are not only poised to meet Milan in the next round of the cup but have also crept back into the top half of the Serie A standings. They sit four points above Bologna after 12 rounds of action, so will be keen not to let that gap narrow this weekend.

Bologna Serie A form:

L

L

D

L

W

W

Bologna form (all competitions):

L

D

L

W

W

W

Torino Serie A form:

L

L

D

L

W

W

Torino form (all competitions):

L

D

L

W

W

W

Team News

Despite faring well enough in his absence, the likely return of leading scorer and attacking talisman Marko Arnautovic should see Thiago Motta reshuffle his forward line on Sunday; Joshua Zirkzee is set to make way.

Only centre-back Kevin Bonifazi is still sidelined by injury for Bologna, who could name an otherwise unchanged XI.

That would mean Lewis Ferguson keeps his place in support of the lone frontman. Now on two Serie A goals following last week's strike at Monza, only Napoli's Giovanni Simeone has scored at least twice in fewer minutes than the Scottish star. He has also started each of his team's last three league games, after making just three substitute appearances to that point.

Torino, meanwhile, are also expected to keep changes to a minimum, as they look to capitalise on the momentum gained from slaying Milan.

Ola Aina, first-choice striker Antonio Sanabria and back-up goalkeeper Etrit Berisha are all unavailable due to injury, and in Sanabria's absence, Pietro Pellegri starts up front.

Hoping to retain his spot in the visitors' midfield, young Samuele Ricci's only goal in 39 Serie A appearances came against Bologna, in September of last year. Main rival Karol Linetty is suspended in any case, and the Granata are unbeaten in league matches he has played so far this term (four wins and two draws).

Bologna possible starting lineup:

Skorupski; Posch, Soumaoro, Lucumi, Cambiaso; Medel, Dominguez; Aebischer, Ferguson, Barrow; Arnautovic

Torino possible starting lineup:

Milinkovic-Savic; Djidji, Schuurs, Rodriguez; Singo, Lukic, Ricci, Lazaro; Miranchuk, Vlasic; Pellegri

We say: Bologna 1-1 Torino

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