Series A, Monday, 22.04.2024
I’m really looking forward to this game, because it simply doesn’t get any more final than AS Roma v Bologna! If the visitors win, the race for the last Champions League place is as good as decided.
Meanwhile, my AS Roma Bologna prediction is dominated by the “shortage of goals”. There is considerable reason to believe that a sub-2.5-goal tip could be the key to success
It’s a worthy “quasi-final” for a place in the top flight. Because there are no two teams that excite me more at the moment.
Bologna have been playing first-class, results-oriented soccer all year, whereas Roma have only seen a significant improvement in their performance since changing coach in the spring.
Meanwhile, the latest developments on and off the pitch are positive for the “Giallorossi”. In the Europa League, for example, they secured their place in the semi-finals with two wins over Milan
Off the pitch, on the other hand, the positive news for all AS Roma fans is that their own team hospital is virtually empty, which is by no means a matter of course given Paulo Dybala’s high susceptibility to injury.
Bologna are, of course, a really strong opponent who have only lost to Inter Milan since February.
However, BFC’s last two Serie A appearances against Frosinone and Monza both ended in uneventful draws, a potential final result that you should definitely bear in mind for tonight
Did you know that Bologna’s most Serie A wins have come against their upcoming opponents? In terms of numbers, the men from the medieval city in the north of Italy have won 52 of their 151 first league encounters to date.
However, it will be extremely difficult to successfully storm the Olimpico this time! Roma have already won 11 of their 16 home games this season, which is impressive.
One more win and the Giallorossi would have celebrated as many Serie A home victories in a single season as they last did during the 2016/17 campaign.
A classic 1X2 tip is not my focus. But I won’t hide the fact that if I were to use the Betway app with this in mind, a draw would be my preferred choice.
In my eyes, however, this game is doomed to produce fewer than 2.5 goals in any case, possibly even none at all!
In any case, the sports betting providers are also strongly assuming this scenario, as they have published odds of 1.55 for a corresponding course of the game, which expresses great confidence
And I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if a single goal were to decide this game.
Five of the last six competitive matches in which Roma have been involved have produced no more than a single goal.
What’s more, Roma have scored just one goal in their last five Serie A games against Bologna, but have also conceded six times in their nine home games against this opponent!
If that’s not the perfect conditions for a sub-2.5-goal bet, then I don’t know what is.
What puts me off a win bet on the visitors is their recent very cautious style of play, which almost condemns them to producing low-scoring results.
Since they also have to prevent Roma from winning at all costs and thus reduce the gap to 4th place, I can already imagine a 0-0 score at the break in my mind’s eye
Bologna won the first-round duel 2-0 at a time when the first calls were already being made in the Eternal City to sack Jose Mourinho as coach.
Incidentally, it would be the first time since the 1966/67 season, when the “Rossoblu” were still coached by a certain Luis Caniglia, that they would win both Serie A matches against Roma
Conclusion: Of course Roma will be keen to win the game! After all, the capital city side need a three-pointer at all costs to have a realistic chance of playing in the Champions League in 2024/25.
Nevertheless, the visitors can defend excellently, meaning it will most likely still be 0-0 at the break.
However, if Roma then go for the crowbar after the break at the latest, pretty much anything is possible. But I very much doubt that this match will produce more than a maximum of two goals, regardless of who wins!
My AS Roma Bologna prediction: Under 2.5 goals