Bologna vs Empoli

on any stream link below to watch the game

 Click on any link in the table above to watch the game.

-------------------------------------------------

Bologna is set to commence a new month after a series of three goalless draws in September, and their upcoming fixture on Sunday will see them host the struggling Empoli at Stadio Dall'Ara.

Despite their recent draws, Bologna continues to struggle in finding the back of the net, having secured just five goals during the 2023-24 season. This offensive drought includes two goals scored in a season-opening Coppa Italia victory against Cesena, with their most recent Serie A goal being almost a month ago when Giovanni Fabbian netted late in a 2-1 win over promoted Cagliari.

Replacing the influential forward Marko Arnautovic, who had been the linchpin of Bologna's attack for the past two years, has proven to be a challenging task. The Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee and his supporting cast have yet to fill the void left by Arnautovic.

Bologna's recent streak of draws has been notable, with no team in Serie A having recorded more draws in home games than Thiago Motta's side over the last season. They will be eager to secure more points in their upcoming fixtures at the Dall'Ara, as they host Empoli and the newly promoted Frosinone before facing Motta's former club, Inter, at San Siro. Accumulating six points from these games is essential to climb up the Serie A standings.

However, history favors Empoli in this matchup, as Bologna lost both encounters against them last season and could now potentially face three consecutive top-flight defeats to the Tuscan team for the first time ever. Empoli has won seven of their last 11 league matches against Bologna, with just one defeat in that period.

While Bologna has struggled to find the back of the net recently, Empoli's offensive struggles are also evident, having scored only once in Serie A this season. Should they fail to score at Stadio Dall'Ara, they would join a rare group of teams in the 21st century to have scored one goal or less in their first seven Serie A matches.

Nonetheless, Empoli did secure a much-needed win in their previous game, a 1-0 victory over Salernitana, as Aurelio Andreazzoli took charge, replacing predecessor Paolo Zanetti. Tommaso Baldanzi's goal in that game offered a glimmer of hope to Empoli, lifting them off the bottom of the table, with one point more than rock-bottom Cagliari.

With only a brief interval between their midweek fixture and their upcoming fourth home match of the season, Bologna might consider making some adjustments to their lineup for Sunday's game. Nevertheless, it appears that Thiago Motta intends to persist with Joshua Zirkzee, even though the striker has been struggling to find the back of the net.

In the midfield, Remo Freuler and Nikola Moro are both vying for a chance to be brought on from the bench. However, Alexis Saelemaekers, who is on loan from Milan, won't have that opportunity as he received a red card for a second bookable offense during the Monza match and must now serve a suspension.

Due to injuries affecting Adama Soumaoro, Jhon Lucumi, and Stefan Posch, it seems that summer signing Sam Beukema will continue to play as a center-back. Beukema has been a standout performer, leading Serie A this season in successful passes with an impressive 402. He is also one of only two Bologna players, alongside goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski, to have played every minute of the season.

On the Empoli side, they might rely once more on Stiven Shpendi, an Albania Under-21 international, to spearhead their attack. This decision stems from veteran striker Francesco Caputo, who is 16 years Shpendi's senior, still grappling with a calf injury. In the Empoli forward line, Nicolo Cambiaghi is currently going through his lengthiest Serie A goal drought, having gone nine appearances without scoring since his last goal in May, which occurred in three consecutive games, including a victory over Bologna with a score of 3-1.

Unfortunately for Empoli, Daniel Maldini remains unavailable, and the defensive duo of Ardian Ismajli and Bartosz Bereszynski are dealing with significant doubts due to injuries. Moreover, Giuseppe Pezzella, their left-back, has recently been ruled out of action until the next year.

This Sunday, Bologna is set to host Empoli at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara in Serie A action. Bologna has maintained an unbeaten streak in the league since their initial 2-0 home loss to AC Milan in the opening game of the season. They have secured four draws out of six matches played so far, accumulating a total of seven points, which positions them in the 13th spot in the league standings. Worth noting is that their recent form has seen them involved in three consecutive goalless draws.

In contrast, Empoli secured their first win of the season just last week, with Tommaso Baldanzi's 34th-minute goal leading them to a 1-0 home victory over Salernitana. This triumph came after a string of five consecutive defeats at the beginning of the season, allowing them to climb to the 19th spot in the league standings upon earning their initial points of the campaign.

Over the course of nearly four decades, the two competing teams have engaged in head-to-head battles on 26 occasions across various competitions, starting from as far back as 1984. In these encounters, the visiting side has managed to assert their dominance, clinching victory in nine of these contests, while an additional 11 encounters culminated in hard-fought draws. Meanwhile, the hosts have struggled to gain an upper hand, remaining winless in their most recent four meetings against the visitors and enduring the sting of defeat on three separate occasions during this unfortunate streak.

Recalling the previous season, the visiting team succeeded in claiming a league double over their hosts. This achievement was highlighted by a narrow 1-0 victory in the away fixture, complemented by a convincing 3-1 triumph when they hosted the reverse encounter. Notably, Bologna has had limited success against their southern rivals, securing just a solitary win in their last 11 clashes, a triumph achieved on their home turf back in 2019. However, when playing on their own ground, they have fared slightly better, succumbing to defeat only once in their past four home meetings with the visitors and managing to secure two draws.

Taking a closer look at the current season, it becomes evident that Empoli faces significant challenges on both ends of the pitch. They currently possess the unenviable titles of having the poorest offensive and defensive records in the league, having scored a mere solitary goal while conceding a staggering 13 times in just six games. In contrast, the hosts boast the second-best defensive record, having conceded only four times in the same number of matches.

When evaluating the more recent history between these teams, it is evident that Bologna has struggled to find their footing, managing just one victory in the past 11 encounters dating back to 2004. This struggle becomes even more apparent when they are on their home turf, where they have failed to find the back of the net in three out of their last four meetings with the visitors, a statistic they undoubtedly aim to improve upon in the upcoming fixture.

Turning our attention to the team dynamics, it's worth noting that Thiago Motta's side will be without the services of Alexis Saelemaekers due to a red card suspension. Saelemaekers received a booking for expressing his dissent over a disallowed goal during their recent draw against Monza. On the injury front, however, there are no fresh concerns for the hosts.

Meanwhile, the Azzurri have managed to break their goal-scoring drought in their previous outing and will be eager to carry this newfound offensive momentum into the upcoming match. History appears to be on their side, as they have emerged victorious in three of their last four encounters with the hosts, which could potentially grant them the upper hand in the impending clash.

In terms of player availability, Bartosz Bereszynski and Giuseppe Pezzella will be absent from the visitor's lineup due to injuries sustained during their recent triumph over Salernitana. Furthermore, the absence of Francesco Caputo has significantly hindered their attacking prowess, with the team managing to find the back of the net only once in their six matches thus far in the season.