Opposition analysis: Bologna

After two consecutive matches at San Siro in Serie A and the Champions League, Inter are preparing for an away trip to Bologna in Matchday 7 of Serie A. The Nerazzurri head to the Dall’Ara sitting top of the table on 16 points, level with Lazio. They will face a Bologna side coming off their first league victory of the season: the Rossoblù secured a 2-1 win away to Lecce in the last round, thanks to goals from Orsolini and Enem. Bologna currently sit 14th in the table, having collected five points from their first six matches, four of which have come in their last two games, the first two under new head coach Raffaele Palladino. Following Matchday 4, Bologna made a change in the dugout, with the coach from Campania replacing Domenico Tedesco.

FORMATION AND PLAYING STYLE

After two seasons under Vincenzo Italiano, who moved to the Besiktas bench over the summer, Bologna initially chose to start afresh with Domenico Tedesco. The transfer window brought several changes to the Rossoblù squad, who lost key players from last season, including strikers Santiago Castro and Thijs Dallinga, defensive mainstay John Lucumì, and attacking players Giovanni Fabbian and Jonathan Rowe. Roberto Piccoli and Artem Dovbyk arrived to lead the line, Mikel Amondarain strengthened the midfield, and Arthur Theate returned to bolster the defence.

Tedesco therefore sought to build on the core of the team that had spent the previous two seasons under Italiano, adopting a basic 4-2-3-1 formation to maintain continuity with the work carried out over that period. However, Bologna’s opening matches yielded just one draw and three defeats, with the team struggling to find the net despite averaging 55% possession. Palladino’s arrival brought a substantial change, with a switch to a 3-4-3 formation evident in the matches against Torino and Lecce.

In those two games, the Rossoblù allowed their opponents to dominate possession, with their average share dropping to 41.5%. However, they collected four points and scored three goals, thanks to aggressive pressing, more direct forward play and attacking moves developed through the wide players. One of their most frequently used combinations against Torino and Lecce was a direct ball into the striker, who laid it off to release the wingers into one-on-one situations. All three goals originated down the left flank, with Cambiaghi providing the delivery and the opposite winger Bernardeschi or Orsolini, attacking the box, or the central striker making the decisive run, as Enem did against Lecce.

THE START OF THE SEASON

One point from their first four matches, followed by four from their last two: Bologna are trying to shift up a gear after a difficult start to the season in terms of results. Following their home opener against Lazio and their Matchday 2 trip to Atalanta, both of which ended in 1-0 defeats, the Rossoblù drew 2-2 with Sassuolo at the Dall’Ara. Both of their new strikers found the net, with Piccoli and Dovbyk twice responding to Sassuolo’s lead. The subsequent 1-0 defeat away to Napoli proved decisive for Tedesco, who was relieved of his duties on 16 September and replaced by Palladino.

The switch to a 3-4-3 has brought immediate benefits in terms of attacking output. Miranda and Zortea have pushed higher up the pitch into wing-back positions, giving them greater freedom to get forward and combine with the wingers to create one-on-one opportunities and numerical advantages. Piccoli, the main reference point in attack at the start of the season, has taken on a dual role: dropping deeper to hold the ball up with his back to goal and bring his teammates into play, while also acting as a focal point for the attack.

The main strength in these last two matches has been the attacking play down the flanks. On the left, Cambiaghi has shown just how dangerous he can be when taking on defenders and delivering crosses. Against Lecce, he provided the assists for both Orsolini and Enem, while Bernardeschi’s goal against Torino also came from one of his deliveries.

KEY PLAYERS

With an average squad age of 26, Bologna can rely on a group of players who have formed the backbone of the team for several years, now refreshed by the summer arrivals. However, the Rossoblù will be without their most talented attacking player: Riccardo Orsolini is unavailable due to a fitness issue, with Federico Bernardeschi set to take his place on the right side of the attack. The 1994-born winger has made a positive start to the season, scoring against Torino, and will be tasked with linking up play and getting into the penalty area. Another key figure in Bologna’s attacking moves is Nicolò Cambiaghi, whose quality in one-on-one situations is central to much of Palladino’s side’s attacking threat. Piccoli and Dovbyk offer two different options at centre-forward: the former is more mobile and dynamic, while the latter brings greater physical presence. They are joined by Jay Enem, a 2003-born striker who arrived from Red Star Belgrade in September. Tall and strong, with a good eye for attacking the box, he has already scored in Serie A, finding the net against Lecce in the last round.

Lewis Ferguson leads the midfield, providing consistency and leadership in his fifth season with Bologna. The Scottish midfielder combines technical quality and physicality with energy and well-timed runs into the box. Alongside him, there is room for Pobega, Moro or Amondarain, as well as the returning Odgaard, who can also operate in more advanced areas depending on how the match develops. Since Palladino’s arrival, the wide areas have become even more important to Bologna’s play. Zortea on the right and Miranda on the left offer constant attacking thrust, combining pace and quality on the ball to support forward moves. They also track back defensively, dropping deeper to provide cover for the central defender on their side. At the back, Theate’s return has given Palladino a reliable defensive option, while the arrival of former Inter player Darmian has added experience and leadership to a unit that already includes Heggem and Casale, protecting Skorupski in goal.

At the Dall’Ara, therefore, the Nerazzurri will face a side that has undergone significant changes compared with recent seasons, with a new head coach and a new formation. After a difficult start, Bologna have begun to turn things around and will be determined to build on the positive results of their last two matches.