Napoli vs Bologna - prediction, team news, lineups

Close to confirming their spot successful adjacent season's Champions League, Napoli volition purpose to instrumentality the last measurement connected Monday, erstwhile they invited Bologna to Stadio Maradona.

Recently deposed arsenic Serie A champions, the Partenopei tin inactive decorativeness runners-up, portion their visitors are lone bound for mid-table.

Match preview

Resigned to passing connected the Scudetto either sooner oregon later, Napoli watched from afar arsenic Inter Milan were crowned Italy's apical squad past weekend, formally ending their reign.

Ever demanding, Antonio Conte volition not let his squad to power off, due to the fact that with 3 games remaining they are inactive successful a choky top-four fight.

With a precious spot successful adjacent season's Champions League yet to beryllium confirmed, the Partenopei person a comparatively benignant run-in; aft hosting Bologna, they volition play relegated Pisa and past Udinese.

Furthermore, fifth-placed Roma are trailing six points behind, truthful it would instrumentality a monumental illness for Napoli to miss out.  

After riding their luck arsenic last week's crippled against Como ended goalless - marking the clubs' 3rd gully wrong 90 minutes this play - Conte's men present instrumentality to their Neapolitan stronghold.

Before welcoming Bologna - who they astir precocious bushed 2-0 successful the Supercoppa Italiana semi-finals - Napoli person won 20 and lone mislaid 1 of their past 28 Serie A location matches. 

Of course, Bologna were taking portion successful the ace cupful owed to a memorable Coppa Italia triumph astir this clip past year, but their existent run is present petering out.

Held to a 0-0 location gully by Cagliari past weekend, Emilian nine person failed to people successful immoderate of 3 Serie A fixtures since being dumped retired of the Europa League.

More apt to suffer their spot successful the apical half, finishing seventh looks improbable - and adjacent that would lone publication Conference League qualification if Inter triumph Wednesday's cupful final.

Set to miss retired connected a instrumentality to UEFA competition, Vincenzo Italiano's broadside person small near to play for, but they volition inactive effort to proceed immoderate awesome signifier connected the road. 

Contrasting with a dire location grounds successful 2026, Bologna boast Serie A's sixth-best distant grounds overall, portion caller results against Napoli besides suggest they should caput southbound with immoderate hope.

Though they were beaten successful December's Supercoppa clash, the Rossoblu person lone mislaid 1 of the past six league meetings, including a 2-0 triumph successful November's reverse fixture.

Napoli Serie A form:

W W D L W D

Bologna Serie A form:

W L W L L D

Bologna signifier (all competitions):

L W L L L D

Team News

Napoli skipper Giovanni Di Lorenzo was backmost connected the seat past week, and the experienced defender could marque his long-awaited instrumentality to enactment connected Monday evening, having been absent since January. 

As Antonio Vergara has besides resumed afloat training, lone Romelu Lukaku and David Neres are inactive sidelined.

With his agelong wounded database yet clearing, Conte could sanction an unchanged XI, arsenic 10-goal apical scorer Rasmus Hojlund spearheads a 3-4-2-1 formation.

Just down his erstwhile Manchester United teammate, Scott McTominay has notched 9 Serie A goals, truthful the box-crashing midfielder volition beryllium keen to scope treble figures wrong the last 3 matchdays.

Bologna's starring scorer is Riccardo Orsolini; however, astir of his 8 goals arrived earlier Christmas and helium has ne'er recovered the nett successful 13 league games against Napoli.

Goals person been a large occupation for the Rossoblu successful caller weeks - they past scored 5 games ago, against Lecce - and Jens Odgaard has had nary occurrence since filling successful arsenic a mendacious nine.

So, Santiago Castro should beryllium recalled connected Monday, erstwhile his chap guardant Thijs Dallinga is acceptable to instrumentality from injury.

The visitors volition beryllium missing Nicolo Cambiaghi, Martin Vitik and Nicolo Casale, but Joao Mario is acceptable again and first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski could beryllium backmost successful the squad aft a seven-week layoff. 

Napoli imaginable starting lineup:

Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Politano, Lobotka, McTominay, Gutierrez; De Bruyne, Alisson; Hojlund

Bologna imaginable starting lineup:

Pessina; Zortea, Lucumi, Helland, Miranda; Ferguson, Freuler, Moro; Orsolini, Castro, Rowe

We say: Napoli 2-0 Bologna

Bologna are seeking their archetypal Serie A treble implicit Napoli since 2002, but they are successful dismal signifier and lone 3 teams person a worse grounds against top-half opponents.

None of the past 12 league meetings successful Naples person ended level; the hosts person won nine, and that contented volition proceed with different location triumph connected Monday.

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