Lazio vs Bologna – Predictions, Team News, Lineups

(CTN News) – Bologna will face Lazio in the last 16 of the Coppa Italia on Thursday.

Both sides won in Serie A at the weekend.

On Sunday, Lazio beat Sassuolo away from home after their nightmare last time out.

With 10 minutes left, they were leading by two goals for the first time in 80 years.

However, Mattia Zaccagni and Felipe Anderson’s goals helped them beat Sassuolo, keeping them in the race for Champions League qualification.

Until now, they’ve had a bye in the UEFA Europa League group stage, so they usually perform at this stage.

Back in 2010-11, local rivals Roma knocked them out of this round.

They’ve won the Coppa Italia six times in the last 25 years, with the latest victory coming in 2019 under Simone Inzaghi. However, they’ve lost in the quarterfinals the last three seasons.

It’s not Bologna’s cup record, but they’ll hope to cause an upset to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2000.

There’s only been one other time they’ve made it further, a quarterfinal loss to Inter in 2013.

All six of their away defeats this season have come against teams in the top seven of Serie A, including Lazio on the opening weekend.

On that visit, they lost 2-1 despite playing with 10 men for 84 minutes after Lazio keeper Luis Maximiano got sent off very early.

Having been 5-1 down after 54 minutes at home, they lost 5-4 to mid-table Serie B side Ternana in the first round last year.

Their last-round win over Cagliari got them here, as they seek a second Coppa Italia title after their 1974 victory.

They’re boosted, though, after taking three points at the Dacia Arena over the weekend, taking advantage of Udinese’s continued slump.

Thiago Motta’s team are almost definitely out of the top seven now, but they’re just three points off Udinese, who sit eighth, so a solid mid-table finish would be respectable. It’s a great chance for Luka Romero to play in the Lazio side.

With his winner against Monza eight days shy of his 18th birthday, he became Lazio’s second-youngest goalscorer.

Ciro Immobile was forced off inside the first quarter of an hour at Sassuolo after suffering a thigh injury.

Mario Gila won’t be able to play due to injury, but Manuel Lazzari is back after suspension.

Gila played in five of Lazio’s six Europa League group stage matches, so he should have started.

Since Bologna’s match with Roma, Marko Arnautovic, who scored eight in 13 games before the World Cup break, has been out.

He also has an injury to his backup in attack, Joshua Zirkzee, so Motta has a selection headache.

Both Nicolas Dominguez and Gary Medel are back after serving yellow card bans.

Kevin Bonifazi and Lorenzo De Silvestri are both injured.

Possible starting lineup for Lazio:

In addition to Provodel, the others are Lazzari, Patric, Casale, Marusic, Milinkovic-Savic, Marcos Antonio, Basic; Pedro, Cancellieri, Zaccagni.

Possible Bologna starting lineup:

In addition to Bardi and Posch, Lucumi, Soumaoro, Lykogiannis; Moro, Schouten, Ferguson, Sansone, Orsolini, Barrow also appear.

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