Inter vs. Bologna: Stats and trivia

MILAN – The Nerazzurri are set to take to the pitch again almost immediately: on Sunday, it’s Inter vs. Bologna at the Meazza. In collaboration with Opta, here are the facts and figures you need to know ahead of the match.

This will be the 144th time Inter and Bologna have faced each other in Serie A. Having recorded 69 wins, the Nerazzurri are ahead when it comes to the number of wins. Bologna have come out on top 39 times, while there have been 35 draws. Only Roma (72) have emerged victorious more times against the Rossoblu in Italy’s top division. Inter are unbeaten in nine games against Bologna after winning five and drawing four of those matches. The Nerazzurri have won 40 of their last 71 home games against the team from Emilia Romagna (there have been 21 draws and ten Bologna wins).

Radja Nainggolan scored his first Serie A goal against Bologna, with this goal coming in October 2010. He also found the back of the net for the first time in an Inter shirt against the Rossoblu when making his debut last September. For the first time this league season, Inter will have to do without Matteo Politano: up to this point, the Italian has been the only outfield player to take to the pitch in every one of the 21 games the Nerazzurri have played in Serie A.

Mauro Icardi has now failed to score in his last five league games. The last time he went so long without scoring was back in 2013 during a nine-game spell for Sampdoria from March to May. However, Icardi has scored four goals in his last five matches against Bologna, including his first Nerazzurri brace in April 2014 at the Meazza. Among the goalkeepers who’ve made at least 20 appearances in Europe’s top five leagues this season, Samir Handanovic is the one with the highest save percentage – 80.5 per cent. 

Meanwhile, Bologna are Danilo D’Ambrosio’s favourite team to score against in Serie A according to individual statistics, with the defender having bagged three against the Rossoblu in total. His last goal against Bologna was in March 2016 at the Meazza. Antonio Candreva scored both his first and last Serie A goal against Bologna, dated February 2010 and September 2018 respectively. Rodrigo Palacio – 39 goals in 140 Serie A appearances for Inter – has scored in each of his last three away matches against the Nerazzurri. As for newly-appointed Bologna Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, he featured for Inter as a player from 2004 to 2006.