15 January 2025. 9.45pm. Milan. Giuseppe Meazza
Serie A, 19th day (match postponed)
Suspension : November (Bologna)
Inter vs Bologna: Bookmaker odds
Inter
After suffering a defeat in the Supercoppa Italiana final against AC Milan, Simone Inzaghi’s side returned to action in Serie A with a tough away win against Venezia, winning 1-0. The only goal of the match was scored by full-back Matteo Darmian in the 16th minute, marking his second goal of the season. As a result, Inter extended their remarkable run of clean sheets, with the last away goal conceded in the league coming against Udinese in September. Whether home or away, the Nerazzurri have now recorded four consecutive wins in the top flight without conceding a goal, the club’s best defensive record since 2021, and they remain unbeaten in their last 13 Serie A matches .
Currently, Inter sit four points behind league leaders Napoli but have two games in hand due to participation in the Supercoppa and an unfinished match against Fiorentina.
The match against Venezia was difficult for Inter, largely due to fatigue, a fact that Inzaghi openly admitted. “It wasn’t easy for us after the final which we lost. We were tired, but we excelled. In the second half, every attack could have led to a second goal, but Stankovic was brilliant.”
“When Inter loses, it’s news. I consider this a positive moment. The Supercoppa defeat against Milan was painful, but we are not looking for excuses. We look to the future, knowing we must do better. We must not rest on our laurels; many matches await us. We must avoid pressure,” said Inzaghi.
Days after the victory over Venezia, the Inter coach was named Serie A’s best coach for the month of December.
Bologna
Bologna managed to upset Inter twice at the Giuseppe Meazza last season: they drew 2-2 in the league and won in the Coppa Italia thanks to goals from Beukema and N’Doye in extra time (2-1) . This time, Vincenzo Italiano’s men will travel to Milan with the same aspirations. Bologna are keen to continue an impressive trend, having scored in each of their last 13 clashes at Milan.
On the 20th day of Serie A, Bologna came close to victory against Roma. In the final seconds of the match, John Lukumi touched the ball in his own penalty area, and after a lengthy VAR check, the referee was forced to award Roma a penalty, resulting in a 2–2 draw .
Due to such costly errors, Italiano’s side have now conceded five goals after the 90th minute during this Serie A season, with only Como having conceded more. Additionally, Bologna lost 15 points after opening the scoring, with only Venezia, who are in penultimate place, having lost more points in similar circumstances. However, the Emilia-based club remain in seventh place in the table and have only lost twice on trips to Italy this season.
According to Corriere dello Sport, the Bologna coach will carry out a significant rotation of the squad for the match at the Giuseppe Meazza. This is due to Lukumi’s suspension as well as the need to rest some players after the Roma match. Fabbian should replace Odgaard, N’Doye will take Dominguez’s place, and one of the defensive midfielders will give way to Pobega.
Inter vs. Bologna: Projected team compositions
Inter vs Bologna: Author’s prediction
Bologna showed very solid football in their home match against Roma. Periodically, Italiano’s team stifled the Romans to the point that they struggled to progress the ball beyond midfield.
The question remains whether the visitors will be able to reproduce their intense pressing a few days later. Italiano will rotate the workforce, and it is uncertain whether the new entrants will be able to meet this requirement.
Simone Inzaghi admits that her team currently seems tired due to the number of matches. Thus, the victory against Venezia ended with a modest score. I believe that Inter will win again by a goal.
