So what Bologna will Rossoblu fans see this Sunday? The team that ground out a 1-0 win over freshly promoted Crotone? Or the side that were humiliated 5-1 by a rampant Torino? Or an entirely new side altogether, refreshed after the international hiatus?
Their upcoming opponents, Cagliari, haven’t fared that much better since making their return to Serie A this season. Still, there may be signs of improvement. After losing 3-1 to Genoa, Massimo Rastelli’s men managed to claw their way back from 2-0 down to pick up a point against Roma.
The loss of first-choice shot-stopper Antonio Mirante (heart issue) for the indeterminable future naturally has impacted Bologna, who had to secure young Senegalese goalkeeper Alfred Gomis on an emergency signing from Torino.
Meanwhile, Cagliari, back in the top flight after winning Serie B, have attempted to fortify their squad with some interesting signings. Marco Borriello, who has acquired the reputation of a footballing nomad, has started off well at his new club. The veteran striker has six in all comps – including a poker during a Coppa Italia win on his debut – and scored the opener during the team’s comeback against Roma.
Bologna vs Cagliari: Head-to-head statistics
- The past five games between Bologna and Cagliari have seen one team fail to find the back of the net.
- Bologna have outscored Cagliari by 8-1 in those five matches.
- Historically, this is a pretty evenly spread fixture, with 17 wins for each side and 18 draws. Both teams have also scored 58 goals during that period.
- Only 37 per cent of Bologna’s home games last season resulted in over 2.5 goals. The league average was 47 per cent.
Bologna vs Cagliari: Prediction
If you are expecting a glut of goals in this all Rossoblu derby, think again. Bologna are a notoriously low-scoring side; last season saw them net a miserly 33 goals in 38 games. That comes out to an average of 0.87 goals per match. The league average was 1.29. At home this breaks down to 1.05 per game (versus 1.47 for the league). And out of their 20 wins and draws, they only scored more than one goal in seven matches.Meanwhile, Cagliari were rarely shut out last campaign, with only six out of their 42 matches (all losses) seeing them fail to find the back of the net. On the road, they averaged 1.52 goals per game (versus the league average of 0.97).
Both teams also have very suspect defenses, having conceded five already. All in all, this looks like a case of both sides cancelling other out to result in a one-all stalemate.
Bologna vs Cagliari: Betting tips
Bologna-Cagliari draw at 23/10 (3.3)Low-scoring stalemate at 5/1 (6.0)
Under 2.5 goals at 4/6 (1.67).
