Inter Milan vs Bologna
Inter Milan and Bologna will face off for the second time in three weeks, and the former is out for vengeance, given what happened in their previous encounter. These two teams will meet at San Siro on Sunday evening, where valuable Serie A points are up for grabs.
As of this writing, Inter Milan fell to second in the Italian top-flight standings after AC Milan took care of business against Cagliari yesterday. However, Cristian Chivu’s side can reclaim the top spot if they beat the Rossoblu this weekend. The Nerazzurri are fresh from a 1-0 road win against Atalanta last time out.
Meanwhile, Bologna slipped to seventh in the table, as they’re winless in their last four league games. Vincenzo Italiano’s men dropped points in their 1-1 draw against Sassuolo after squandering a one-goal lead.
Learn more about these two calcios, courtesy of today’s SBOTOP match preview.
Talking Points
Inter Milan cannot overthink their starting XI
Following their Supercoppa Italiana run, Inter Milan’s schedule has somewhat lightened up. Their next Champions League game isn’t until mid-January, so head coach Cristian Chivu can afford to field his best XI in their next few domestic matches.
Chivu didn’t do that against Bologna last December because it was their second game in five days, and it cost them. Chivu benched Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu in favour of Ange-Yoan Bonny and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Martinez only came on during the 71st minute when the game was already level, and Calhanoglu didn’t even come off the bench.
Inter Milan bounced back from their cup setback with a narrow win over Atalanta, as Martinez scored the winner in the 65th minute. Calhanoglu also started in place of Mkhitaryan and looked fitter than a few weeks ago.
Martinez is expected to spearhead the Nerazzurri’s attack once again. The Argentine striker has scored 30 goals across all competitions last year, and he needs one more goal to reach double figures for a seventh Serie A season.
Moreover, veteran centre-back Francesco Acerbi has returned to training following a thigh injury. However, Matteo Darmian and Denzel Dumfries remain long-term absentees, while Bonny is questionable to play.
Bologna receive defensive boost
Bologna will aim to end their winless run in the Italian top-flight this week, and it helps that one of their top defenders is back in the mix, as centre-back Torbjorn Heggem finished serving his suspension. The 26-year-old missed the past few games for receiving a straight red card during the Rossoblu’s 1-0 home loss against Juventus last month. Heggem’s return means that Martin Vitik is back on the bench against Inter Milan.
Giovanni Fabbian scored his first league goal this season in last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Sassuolo, which might earn him another start alongside Riccardo Orsolini, Nicolo Cambiaghi, and Santiago Castro. Bologna’s notable absences include backup keeper Lukasz Skorupski and veteran winger Federico Bernardeschi.
History
As noted, Inter Milan and Bologna have faced off earlier this season during the Supercoppa Italiana semi-finals. After a 1-1 draw in regulation, following goals from Marcus Thuram and Riccardo Orsolini, the Rossoblu won the penalty shootout, with Ciro Immobile hitting the final shot. Bologna went on to lose 2-0 to Napoli in the final.
Having registered 12 wins and four losses in Serie A this season, Inter Milan could now start without a single draw from 17 top-flight matches for the first time in their long history. The Nerazzurri have also won just one of their last five league meetings against the Rossoblu. However, Inter Milan have won their last six Serie A games to open the new calendar year.
Bologna have only won one of their 13 year-opening games, but have scored in 17 consecutive away games against Inter Milan.
Betting Tip
The Serie A 2026 odds have Inter Milan getting their revenge against Bologna this weekend. Inter Milan are 1.38 favourites to claim maximum points, while Bologna are big 6.80 underdogs, and a draw is priced at 4.29 in the 1X2 market. Just like in the previous game, Inter Milan and Bologna could find themselves in the scoresheet and the Serie A 2026 highlights reel, with the hosts likely to score more because they have more firepower than their visitors. Besides our recommended bet, bettors might need to add Over 2.50 at 1.76, Over 2.75 at 2.00, and Over 3.00 at 2.33, with Total Goal 2-3 at 2.02 being the middle ground. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 1-1 after 90 minutes – the result two weeks ago – is on offer at 8.40 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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