MX23RW : Monday, January 18 14:24:53| >> :600:231528:231528:
Dec 20, 2020 at 11.30am UK at Stadio Olimpico
TorinoTorino
1-1
BolognaBologna
Verdi (69')
Lyanco (32')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Soriano (78')
Dominguez (26'), Svanberg (52'), Tomiyasu (68')

Preview: Torino vs. Bologna - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday's Serie A clash between Torino and Bologna, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Torino entertain Bologna in Serie A on Sunday with the hosts searching for only their second league win of the campaign.

Bologna, meanwhile, have slid to 13th in the table after failing to win any of their last three matches.


Match preview

Marco Giampaolo in charge of Torino in September 2020© Reuters

Indeed, Torino are currently competing in Serie A for the ninth successive campaign, but Marco Giampaolo has a serious job on his hands to ensure the club spends a decade in Italy's top-flight.

Having won just once in the opening 12 games of the season, the Turin-based club are stranded in the relegation zone, four points behind 17th-placed Fiorentina.

Scoring goals has certainly not been a problem, with their tally of 20 better than any side below eighth in the table, but Giampaolo's side are conceding an average of 2.5 goals per game, making their defensive record comfortably the worst in the division.

The 53-year-old may actually have been happy with his side only conceding three goals at Roma on Thursday, though, after Wilfried Singo was sent off after only 14 minutes. Andrea Belotti's late consolation goal made it a fairly respectable 3-1 defeat given the circumstances, with the 26-year-old Italy international surely attracting strong interest from teams higher up the pecking order these days.

Bologna manager Sinisa Mihajlovic pictured in July 2020© Reuters

Bologna have had a significantly more impressive season under Sinisa Mihajlovic by their own standards, but have shown signs of slowing down in recent weeks.

Like their forthcoming opponents, goals tend to fly in at both ends in Bologna matches, with Wednesday's 2-2 draw at Spezia Calcio a classic case in hand of that.

Mihajlovic's side fell two goals behind to a M'Bala Nzola brace, but pegged their opponents back via Nicolas Dominguez and Musa Barrow's late strikes.

Of Serie A's bottom half teams, only Torino have scored more goals, but equally only three sides in the division have an inferior defensive record. There should be goals on Sunday, then.

Torino Serie A form: DLDLLL
Torino form (all competitions): LWDLLL

Bologna Serie A form: LWWLLD
Bologna form (all competitions): WLWLLD


Team News

Andrea Belotti celebrates scoring for Torino on July 13, 2020© Reuters

Torino's struggles are made a little more understandable given that they are without Vincenzo Millico, Simone Verdi, Cristian Ansaldi, Daniele Baselli and Simone Zaza though injury.

Singo will miss the visit of Bologna, too, through suspension after his dismissal in Rome.

Bologna, meanwhile, are missing Andreas Skov Olsen, Jerdy Schouten, Ibrahima Mbaye, Riccardo Orsolini and Federico Santander through injury.

Aaron Hickey is unavailable for the trip to Turin due to coronavirus.

Torino possible starting lineup:
Sirigu; Bremer, Lyanco, Buongiorno; Segre, Gojak, Meite, Linetty, Vojvoda; Lukic; Belotti

Bologna possible starting lineup:
Da Costa; De Silvestre, Danilo, Paz, Tomiyasu; Medel, Dominguez; Palacio, Soriano, Vignato; Barrow


SM words green background

We say: Torino 1-2 Bologna

With both sides boasting decent offensive records but struggling to shut sides out at other end, we can envisage plenty of goals in an entertaining affair.

We think Bologna have a little more balance at present, though, so if they can keep Belotti as quiet as possible, they should have a good chance of winning.


Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 1.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 1.5:data


ID:427086:cQx

How you voted: Torino vs Bologna

Torino
30.9%
Draw
30.9%
Bologna
38.2%
55
Share this article now:
Did you know...?
Lazio manager Simone Inzaghi pictured on October 20, 2020
Read Next:
Saturday's Serie A predictions including Lazio vs. Hellas Verona
>
Latest Sports Video
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.

rhs 2.0
Todays Game Header Right
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1AC Milan17124137191840
2Inter Milan18124245232240
3Napoli17111540162434
4Roma1810443729834
5Juventus1796235181733
6Atalanta BCAtalanta1795340221832
7Lazio189453025531
8SassuoloSassuolo188643127430
9Hellas VeronaHellas Verona187652217527
10Sampdoria187292829-123
11BeneventoBenevento186392134-1321
12Bologna185582431-720
13SpeziaSpezia184682332-918
14Fiorentina184681829-1118
15Udinese174491927-816
16Genoa183691830-1215
17CagliariCagliari173592334-1114
18Torino182792635-913
19Parma182791434-2013
20Crotone1833122141-2012

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!