Bologna vs Sampdoria
2016/17 Italian Serie A.
Date: Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Kick-Off: 23:30 GMT+7
Venue: Stadio Renato Dall’Ara (Bologna).
Having lost their respective matches in round four, both Bologna and Sampdoria will be desperate to get back on track as they lock horns on Wednesday.
The Rossoblu have had nothing short of a roller-coaster start to this season. A narrow 1-0 win over Serie A debutants Crotone followed by a 5-1 humiliation to Torino. A hard-fought 2-1 victory over another newly promoted side – Cagliari – before a 3-1 drubbing by Napoli. Indeed, were one to predict results based on patterns, one would pick up on several interesting statistics. The first: Bologna have managed to eke out tight wins at home by goal margins of one. The second, the Rossoblu really struggle on the road, where they have conceded a whopping eight and scored just twice.
So, what does that mean for Roberto Donadoni’s men? Is another narrow home win on the cards for this madly inconsistent Bologna side? Well, this same fixture last term did end in the same fashion, as they edged out Sampdoria in a five-goal thriller by a score of 3-2.
Meanwhile, the Blucheriati were left reeling after conceding a very late goal to Milan, which now means they have lost two games on the trot. It has certainly been a disappointing downward trend after a solid start that saw them win their first two matches. They will be desperate to avoid making it a third straight defeat, but Sampdoria have not actually beaten Bologna at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in Serie A action since November 2003 and will be taking on a side yet to lose on home turf this season.
Bologna vs Sampdoria Head-to-head statistics
Bologna’s most recent win over Samp was a 3-2 result on January 31, 2016.
Prior to that, the Rossoblu had not beaten the Blucheriati since March 8, 2009, with five draws and four losses during that period.
Bologna, however are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Sampdoria at home.
The Blucheriati have lost 60 per cent of their last 20 away games.
The Rossoblu have won four, drawn five, and lost 11 out of their last 20 home fixtures against teams ranked higher than them in the table.
There have been over 2.5 goals scored in Bologna’s last three Serie A matches
Bologna vs Sampdoria: Prediction
Bologna are coming into this fixture after a heavy loss, but as noted before, they are yet to lose or draw at home this season. Furthermore, Sampdoria have struggled at Bologna’s home ground, and it has been nearly 13 years since they last departed the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara with all three points in hand.
Given that Bologna’s past three games saw over 2.5 goals, expect more of the same in this fixture. It looks set to be an interesting tactical battle as both teams attempt to get back on track, and neither side will be able to keep a clean sheet. A draw is not unlikely, especially since three out of their last five meetings finished as stalemates, whilst Samp won one and Bologna the other.
Bologna vs Sampdoria: Betting tips
Over 2.5 goals at 5/4 (2.25)
Both teams to score at 19/20 (1.95)
Draw at 9/4 (3.25).
