Bologna - Lazio
Stadio Dall'Ara
      

An interesting historical pattern combined with Lazio’s recent away form in Serie A indicates Bologna are slight favourites as the teams meet this weekend.

With Bologna’s two-point penalty and 4-1 defeat to Inter last weekend, the most disappointing aspect from last weekend was seeing three sides below them pick up points. Now sat in 16th, the Felsinei are three points above the relegation zone.

The San Siro defeat saw the defence overloaded with runners from midfield and Marco Di Vaio unsupported in attack, despite some neat individual work at times. Interestingly, Bologna have spent the last week talking of potential activity in the transfer market to rectify the latter issue, targeting Lazio’s hero from last weekend Libor Kozak, as one of their striking options.

For the Biancocelesti’s visit, Alberto Malesani has a full-strength squad but for Archimede Morleo and Massimo Mutarelli.

In Giuseppe Sculli, Lazio welcomed a striker of their own this week with the hope an extra pair of energetic legs in the final third could make all the difference to the side’s push for Champions League qualification. Edy Reja has again been playing the ‘not-in-the-title-race’ card, but given they were outsmarted across the pitch last weekend and still picked up the win, it still looks as diversionary as it may be genuine.

The result against Sampdoria was more important than the performance for a team that has been slightly out of form in recent weeks – eight points dropped in the previous four games – but the performance again highlighted the lack of imagination in attack when Hernanes is off-colour, or more specifically last weekend, played deep in midfield.

The home defeat to Lecce aside, the club’s recent struggles have been on the road where two defeats and two draw have seen the side go from two points clear in first to four points behind in third.

All this in mind, the Aquile could go with the more aggressive 4-2-3-1 system, backed up by Giuseppe Biava’s return from suspension adding security to a back-line now missing Stephan Lichtsteiner to a one-game ban. Stefan Radu and Mourad Meghni are doubts whilst Javier Garrido, Matuzalem and Tommaso Rocchi are all out.

Keep an eye on: Giuseppe Sculli (Lazio) – The Aquile were very fortunate to come away with three points last weekend in a game that the goal aside only saw them register two shots on target. Sculli may lack recent goalscoring pedigree, but comes into a productive side looking to build play around active forward movement. Is Sculli their man?

Last five in Serie A: Bologna (L D DW L) Lazio (L W D L W)

Last season: Bologna 2-3 Lazio

Top tip: An almost full-strength Lazio side were defeated midweek in the Coppa Italia Rome derby whilst Bologna’s much-changed side played 24 hours earlier in their exit from the competition. The Rossoblu’s fresher legs could be the difference come Sunday.

Stat fact: The result pattern for the last six meetings at the Renato Dall’Ara goes: Bologna win, Lazio win, Bologna win, Lazio win, Bologna win, Lazio win.
Bologna (probable): Viviano; Garics, Portanova, Britos, Rubin; Perez, Mudingayi, Della Rocca; Ekdal; Ramirez, Di Vaio

Lazio (probable): Muslera; Cavanda, Dias, Biava, Scaloni; Ledesma, Brocchi; Zarate, Hernanes, Mauri; Floccari

Bologna have been a pretty solid outfit this year, and if it was not for their 3 point deduction for financial irregularities then they'd be sitting in 11th place right now. Having only lost once at home, 0-3 to Milan, they won't be easy to beat on home turf and interestingly only Sampdoria have conceded fewer goals at home in the league all season. Still, personally I think there is a soft underbelly to their good home form and we can take advantage of that.

What happened with Lichsteiner ?!?!? .. he went from a kid we wanted as a future Lazio captain and this season we've been talking about how out of form he is and his fuck ups.

Hopefully the derby loss will fuel them enough to mangle bologna to at least give something back to the fans for giving us two derby heartaches this year.

Hopefully our strikers decide to score this weekend instead of proving further how bad this team needs to replace them.

It will be interesting yet a little scary to see two of our subs this weekend in the back but hopefully Scaloni and Cavanda will be motivated to prove themselves as viable options. This time Cavanda doesn't have to worry about covering Krasic so hopefully he does a better job then his retarded repeated mistakes against rubentus.

Bologna's a team we can't take too lightly .. we always seem to lay back against teams like this so hopefully the team is charged.

This weekend can push us further down the table 2 spots potentially and be surpassed by the merde as well. After they beat us on wednesday we can't have that happen too.

FORZA LAZIO! DIFENDERLA! 

yeah as i have already said, i cannot stand Lich's play going forward.  But, that being said, is it worth the trade off of having a less experienced guy when we are defending?  Lich is undoubtedly a solid defender. The identity of this team has been a focus on not allowing goals, not scoring a ton.  I know we don't have a choice (since lich is banned), but it will be interesting.

  

my brothers the score: bologna vs SS LAZIO   1-2.......... 

Don't worry ,,,,everything this weekend will be fine.
greetings grom Greece..

Finally TWO FUCKING STRIKERS UP FRONT!!!! E VAIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 
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PROBABILI FORMAZIONI

BOLOGNA (4-3-1-2): 1 Viviano; 18 Moras, 13 Portanova, 6 Britos, 19 Rubin; 15 Perez, 26 Mudingayi, 7 Della Rocca; 12 Ekdal; 10 Ramirez, 9 Di Vaio. A disp.: (22 Lupatelli, 21 Cherubin, 16 Esposito, 24 Buscè, 32 Casarini, 20 Gimenez, 69 Meggiorini) All. Malesani

Indisponibili: nessuno
Squalificati: nessuno
Diffidati: Portanova, Garics, Perez, Di Vaio, Della Rocca, Ramirez, Britos

LAZIO (4-3-1-2): 86 Muslera; 5 Scaloni, 3 Dias, 20 Biava, 26 Radu; 24 Ledesma, 32 Brocchi, 6 Mauri; 8 Hernanes; 77 Sculli, 22 Floccari. A disp.: (12 Berni, 21 Diakitè, 39 Cavanda, 14 Gonzalez, 17 Foggia, 18 Kozak, 10 Zarate) All. Reja

Indisponibili: Matuzalem, Rocchi, Garrido, Bresciano
Squalificati: Lichtsteiner
Diffidati: nessuno

Arbitro: Rocchi di Firenze (Faverani-Stefani; IV°: Giannoccaro)

I have been hoping Reja would not return to 4-2-3-1 for this game. Hopefully he will not change the formation and puts Zarate on the bench for a change. I should not expect wonders from Sculli but I hope he starts and can make a difference upfront.

it gives us a chance to see what sculli will be like