Genoa in Serie A on Sunday afternoon looking to arrest a slide that has become embarrassing, having won just once since January.
The Grifone will prove no pushover, though with just two away wins to their name, they have the divisions 18th worst record on the road.
What Genoa will take to the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara is form, having won six of their last nine games including an impressive 1-0 victory over Inter in midweek. During the same period, their hosts have notched up just four points, all from draws.
The two sides were in almost opposite form when they met earlier in the season. Luca Rossettini’s late header being the only goal of that game. Rossettini was abject in the 6-0 defeat to Napoli on Tuesday, but his headed goals have been crucial as the Felsinei have scrambled clear of the drop zone.
For two of the elder statesmen of Serie A, this is an 84th meeting, and accordingly the 42nd in Bologna. Genoa have a dismal record in the city of towers, having won just three of those games. The most recent of those came in 2009, when a Grifone side still coached by Gianpiero Gasperini, triumphed 3-1.
Perhaps more famously, the two met to decide the Northern League title in 1925. After two legs and three progressively ill-mannered replays, Bologna emerged victorious to go on to claim their first national title.
There will be no such prizes for Roberto Donadoni’s side after Sunday, though they will have to cope with a number of key injuries. Mattia Destro is still expected to miss out, while Archimede Morleo, Franco Zuculini and Luca Rizzo have all joined him on the treatment table.
Genoa are similarly hamstrung, with Mattia Perin, Nicolas Burdisso and Goran Pandev all sure not to feature, while Tomas Rincon is expected to join them on the sidelines.
Gian Piero Gasperini is closing in on 300 games as Genoa coach; Sunday will mark his 294th game in charge of the Grifone and with a win he would surge past 400 points.
Robert Acquafresca is likely to continue up front for Bologna. His last Serie A goal came on March 4th 2012, a gap of some 1512 days.
Form Guide
Bologna (L-L-D-L-L) Genoa (L-W-W-L-W)
Expected Starting XIs
Bologna: Mirante; Mbaye, Rossettini, Oikonomou, Constant; Taider, Donsah, Brighi; Zuniga, Acquafresca, Giaccherini.
Genoa: Lamanna; Izzo, Munoz, De Maio; Ansaldi, Rigoni, Dzemaili, Gabriel Silva; Suso, Pavoletti, Laxalt.
