On Sunday night, Bologna host Atalanta at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, in a crucial game for the visitor’s hopes of a top-six finish in Serie A this season.
Bologna are midtable in the Italian top-flight, the Rossoblu are not going to challenge for the European spots, but they are also not going to suffer relegation either this season.
A better recent run of form may have seen the home side mount a surprise top-six challenge. However, a record of one win in their last nine Serie A games was enough to scupper any dreams of European football next season. A 1-0 defeat at Fiorentina last time out ended a short three-game unbeaten run in the Italian top-flight.
Sinisa Mihajlovic’s team have been inconsistent on home soil too, as a record of one win in their last six games illustrates.
A goalless draw against Torino in their last home game means that Bologna have failed to score in four of their last five home matches in Serie A.
Atalanta are experiencing a rare disappointing campaign in Serie A after so many years of top-four finishes. The Nerazzurri are in a fight for a top-six spot, let alone a Champions League berth.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s team are eight points adrift of fourth-place Juventus and outside the top-six courtesy of an inferior head-to-head record to sixth-place Roma.
Atalanta’s recent form has been poor, to say the least, as the visitors head into this clash on the back of just one win in their last eight matches in the Italian top-flight.
Rather uncharacteristically, Atalanta have struggled for goals of late in the league, failing to score in three of their last four matches in Serie A.
Forebet predicts that Atalanta will get back to winning and scoring ways by recording a victory in a low-scoring encounter.