Serie A: Fiorentina are Falling Apart at the Wrong Time

Fiorentina vs Bologna

​Time is running out for Fiorentina to qualify for European football next year. After going undefeated in March and April, Raffaele Palladino’s men have had a rough week because they’re eliminated from the Europa Conference League semi-finals and have lost back-to-back Serie A matches against AS Roma (1-0) and Venezia (2-1).

As a result, La Viola dropped to ninth in the Italian top-flight standings with 59 points. Even if they win their final two league matches, they might not make it since they don’t control their fate.

On the other hand, Bologna’s league form has been shaky lately. I Rossoblu are winless in their last three Serie A games, but they just won the Coppa Italia at the expense of AC Milan, breaking their 51-year trophy drought.

This contest between Fiorentina and Bologna at the Artemio Franchi Stadium is undeniably a must-watch.

 

Talking Points

Fiorentina have a lineup crisis

Raffaele Palladino faces a major lineup dilemma against Bologna because he might miss up to six key players this Sunday evening. Michael Folorunsho and Lucas Beltran will serve their one-match suspensions for an accumulation of yellow cards. Nicolo Zaniolo continues to serve his ban for picking up a straight red card late in their 1-0 loss against AS Roma. Palladino is also sweating on the fitness of Moise Kean, Albert Gudmundsson, and Danilo Cataldi because they haven’t trained with the team this week after missing the Venezia match. 

Kean and Gudmundsson’s absences are a huge blow to Fiorentina’s frontline since they are the team’s top two scorers this season. Kean leads La Viola in scoring with 15 league goals and three assists, and Gudmundsson has six league goals and one assist. Cataldi is another midfield option for Palladino. If Kean and Gudmundsson don’t make it, Palladino will likely go with Andrea Colpani and Amir Richardson as their makeshift forwards.

Fiorentina will stick their 3-4-2-1 setup with David de Gea manning between the sticks and Luca Ranieri, Pablo Mari, and Marin Pongracic forming a back three. Dodo, Rolando Mandragora, Nicolo Fagioli, and Robin Gosens will operate in the middle of the park.

 

Bologna can add to their latest triumph

Bologna are fresh from a 1-0 Coppa Italia final win over AC Milan to end their long wait for silverware. I Rossoblu also booked their tickets for the Europa League next season, regardless of where they end up in the Serie A standings.

Vincenzo Italiano’s men earned it the hard way, as neither team could find the back of the net in the first half. Bologna captain Lewis Ferguson was even left bloodied with what looked like a broken nose after a sliding tackle on Rafael Leao, who caught him on the face with his leg.

I Rossoblu broke the deadlock eight minutes into the second half. Theo Hernandez tackled Riccardo Orsolini in the area, but the ball fell to Dan Ndoye, who curled the ball into the right side of the net. Bologna held their nerve and eventually won the game.

 

History

Bologna won 1-0 against Fiorentina during the reverse fixture at the Renato Dall’Ara last December, as Jens Odgaard scored the winning goal right before the hour mark. I Rossoblu have won four of their last five Serie A matches against La Viola (L1), including the last two, and they aim to make it three in a row for the first time since 1966.

However, Fiorentina are undefeated in 12 of their last 13 Serie A home games against Bologna (W9, D3), keeping a clean sheet on nine occasions. Bologna’s last road win against Fiorentina was a 2-1 result in February 2023.

Fiorentina are on a two-game losing streak and could suffer three straight losses for the second time this campaign, having previously done so in February against Inter Milan, Como, and Hellas Verona.

 

Betting Tip

The Serie A 2025 odds predict a tight contest between Fiorentina and Bologna. Coming from a championship high, Bologna have the slight edge at 2.58, whereas Fiorentina aren’t far behind at 2.62, and a draw is at 3.01 in the 1X2 market.

SBOTOP football fans and bettors shouldn’t expect too many goals and Serie A 2025 highlights from this contest. Besides our recommended bet, you can also go for alternatives like Under 2.50 at 1.64, Under 2.25 at 1.88, and Total Goal 2-3 at 1.98. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of I Rossoblu – the result of the reverse fixture – will give you a decent payday of 6.90 your bet.

   

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