Bologna vs Fiorentina: Preview

Following a few promising performances, Fiorentina dropped points to bottom feeders Crotone under miserable conditions that nullified the Viola’s skill game. While there may be an excuse this time, Fiorentina cannot afford to keep dropping points in what is already a lost season. For this weekend, they face a team with problems of their own.

Bologna

Roberto Donadoni’s Rossoblu have struggled themselves following a strong start to the season, and are winless in five games, four of which have been draws. Against Inter, Lazio, Sassuolo and Chievo, Bologna has taken the lead only to collapse. With 11 goals scored in 10 games, Bologna has struggled offensively, especially when already in the lead.

Bologna will be without Mattia Destro and defenders Domenico Maietta, Darios Oikonomou, and Vasilis Torosidis; nevertheless this is a well rounded side whose front three of Simone Verdi, Sergio Floccari and Ladislav Krejci offer verstaility.

Fiorentina

Fiorentina are unbeaten in their last four matches against Bologna, including three wins, and Paulo Sousa will be hoping to make it four wins in five if he wants to keep his job much longer. Fiorentina are healthy and under normal conditions, should have an easier time than they did on Wednesday.

The Viola have looked better since switching to a four man defense, which should return along with Borja Valero and Nikola Kalinic returning to the starting lineup. It is not yet known if Sousa will go with Carlos Salcedo or Nenad Tomovic on the right, or with Hrvoje Milic or Maxi Olivera on the left; call it the battle of middling Balkan vs Latin American fullbacks.

Projected Lineups

Bologna (4-3-3) Da Costa; Mbaye, Gastaldello, Helander, Masina; Taider, Nagy, Dzemaili; Verdi, Floccari, Krejci

FIORENTINA: (4-2-3-1) Tatarusanu; Tomovic, Rodriguez, Astori, Milic; Badelj, Vecino; Tello, Borja Valero, Bernardeschi; Kalinic

How to Watch

TV: This will be shown on RAI International in the United States, for more options check here.

Online: This will be available for legal streaming in the U.S. and Canada via BeIN Sports Connect, as well as through fuboTV. For other options check here.

As always we will have a match thread live here for discussion of the game. You can also follow along with us live on Twitter, and you can also head over to our Facebook page.