Will Bologna keep their momentum going?

While all eyes in Italian football are on this week’s Coppa Italia semi-final clash between the two Milan clubs, the second semi-final is almost a footnote. After the Rossoblu’s 3-0 win in the first leg in Tuscany, it is practically certain who will advance to the final in this duel. So the match is actually a case for our Finger Away category, but nevertheless, we have picked out three promising Bologna vs. Empoli tips for you.

One team doesn’t have much left to do, while the other has been virtually unable to get anything going in recent months. It goes without saying that Roberto D’Aversa’s team’s ongoing slump plays a major role in our Bologna vs. Empoli prediction. In any case, we don’t expect the return leg against a strong Bologna side to be a thrilling affair.

Bologna – Statistics & current form

The excitement ahead of the semi-final second leg is gone. Vincenzo Italiano’s team clearly prevailed against the underdogs in the first leg. And for the return leg, the Bologna vs. Empoli odds at Vbet Sportsbook once again show Italiano’s team as clear favorites. However, since Bologna is already as good as through, the low odds for a home win not only offer little value but also a certain amount of risk.

How much will Bologna invest?

It remains to be seen how much the Rossoblu will invest in this game. Coach Italiano may decide to rest some of his key players ahead of the important league game against Udinese next weekend. Nevertheless, Bologna remains the favorite, as the northern Italian side is one of the strongest home teams in Italy this season.

At the national level, they have only suffered one home defeat in the league and cup so far this season. Last weekend, even Inter Milan failed to break down Bologna in their own backyard. The champions were sent home with a 1-0 defeat, making the Serie A title race really exciting again. That’s why we’re assuming that the Rossoblu won’t lose the upcoming match in our Bologna vs. Empoli prediction.

However, we are steering clear of the three-way market, as Thursday’s game is practically a showcase event. For this reason, we expect Bologna to take their foot off the gas and that the spectators at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara will not see too many goals in what is likely to be an uneventful game.

Predicted Bologna line-up:
Ravaglia – Miranda, Lucumi, Beukema, De Silvestri – El Azzouzi, Freuler, Ndoye, Odgaard – Orsolini, Dallinga

Empoli – Statistics & current form

FC Empoli is currently experiencing an unprecedented slump. The team from Tuscany has been waiting for its next victory for 18 Serie A games now. The poor performances of the “Azzurri Empolesi” did not stop at the cup either. After the clear defeat in the first leg, the team is already as good as out before the return leg in Bologna.

Bad, worse, Empoli

We consider it rather unlikely that Empoli will not lose at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. It is therefore even more unlikely that Bologna will beat Empoli by more than two goals, which would at least mean extra time. It is therefore quite possible that coach Roberto D’Aversa will field a second-string team in order to save energy for the league.

The relegation battle is likely to be Empoli’s top priority in the club’s precarious situation. To prevent the club from being relegated to Serie B, D’Aversa, who is being kept on by the club’s management despite the downward spiral, must above all get his offense back on track. In the last five competitive games, the team has scored just three goals.

In the first leg of the cup match against Bologna, the score was once again 0-0. For the reasons mentioned above, we do not necessarily expect the visitors to score in the second leg and are therefore betting on a low-scoring game with an odds boost.

Empoli’s expected line-up:
Seghetti – De Sciglio, Marianucci, Tosto, Pezzella – Gyasi, Kovalenko, Bacci, Fazzini, Solbakken – Colombo

Bologna – Empoli Head-to-head record / H2H record

The two teams have faced each other 25 times in total, with the record evenly balanced. Bologna have won eight times, Empoli eight times, and the points have been shared once more in this duel (nine draws). Although the “Azzurri Empolesi” have performed well against Bologna in the league recently, they suffered a bitter 0-3 defeat at home in the first leg of the semi-final.

The die seems to be cast before the second leg. The Bologna vs. Empoli betting odds for the visitors from Tuscany to advance are therefore hardly worth considering.

Bologna – Empoli Tip

0:0, 1:1, 1:0 or 2:0 – all results that we can well imagine in our Bologna vs. Empoli tip. These results all have one thing in common: if any of them occur, our tip for less than three goals in the game would be fulfilled. And given the omens for this match, we can well imagine a game with few goals.

Bologna can take their time to let their opponents come at them and focus on counterattacks in their own stadium. A win is not absolutely necessary for Vincenzo Italiano’s team. Empoli, on the other hand, have been extremely harmless in attack this season, which is why we don’t expect the visitors from Tuscany to score.

Both teams are also likely to rotate their squads ahead of their cup semi-finals. While Empoli’s focus is clearly on staying up in Serie A and the game is probably already decided, a number of reserves are likely to start. The same can be expected from Bologna, albeit for a different reason.

Even if coach Italiano rests some of his regulars, the Rossoblu are still the stronger team. And even then, a 3-0 lead should not be squandered. A very likely Bologna vs. Empoli prediction is therefore a bet on fewer than four goals in the game and no defeat for the home team – although the betting odds for this are low.