After ending their Champions League adventure in midweek, Bologna will aim to aid their push for European qualification on Saturday evening, when Como pay a visit to Stadio Dall'Ara.
Their appetite whetted, the Rossoblu are intent on returning to continental competition next season, while Como are merely seeking Serie A survival.
Match preview
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Still unbeaten in 2025, Bologna closed out a slightly disappointing Champions League campaign by holding Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday, when the league phase finally came to its conclusion.
One week after getting off the mark by beating crisis club Borussia Dortmund, an already-eliminated Rossoblu side struck the hosts' crossbar before Tommaso Pobega put them in front at Estadio Alvalade; however, Sporting hit back with an equaliser deep into the second half.
Having previously been held by Empoli in Serie A, Bologna are one of Italy's stalemate specialists this season, drawing 10 of their 21 league fixtures so far - the Emilian club's most at this stage of a top-tier campaign since 1990.
Occupying eighth place in the standings - sandwiched between Roma and AC Milan - Vincenzo Italiano's men are still within range of the European places, as they aim to replicate last term's fifth-placed finish.
Since the start of November, only Roma have scored more times on home turf, and Bologna's past record against Como at the Dall'Ara suggests they can get back to winning ways this weekend.
With just one defeat in nine Serie A home games versus the Lariani, their sole loss dates back to 1951.
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Nonetheless, after a 2-2 draw in September's reverse fixture - when they were denied maximum points by a late Rossoblu comeback - Como have lost only five of 19 top-flight meetings with Bologna to date.
Having initially struggled to adapt to Serie A on their long-awaited return, the Lombardy club have recently started climbing the table, and they were even on course to do the double over title-chasing Atalanta BC last week.
Nico Paz put Como in front at Stadio Sinigaglia, but red-hot Mateo Retegui's second-half brace ultimately consigned the hosts to a 2-1 defeat that leaves them just two points above the drop zone.
While Cesc Fabregas and co are proving tougher to beat on home turf, last term's Serie B runners-up have failed to win any of their seven away matches since upsetting Atalanta in late September.
After drawing three of the last four - against Lazio, Venezia and Genoa - the Lariani could do with ending that drought on Saturday evening, or they may be cast back into the relegation places.
Team News
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While Bologna can welcome back midfield mainstay Remo Freuler after a UEFA suspension, and Jhon Lucumi should recover from an illness, they will still be without Italy winger Riccardo Orsolini due to injury.
Lewis Ferguson strained his thigh taking a corner on Wednesday, so his presence is in some doubt; Michel Aebischer and Nicolo Cambiaghi also face fitness tests.
After rotating his squad in midweek, Vincenzo Italiano should restore first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski, among others including Benjamin Dominguez. The latter has been directly involved in four goals in his last four Serie A appearances.
Two more rising stars, Bologna's Santiago Castro (six league goals) and Como's Nico Paz (five) - born just 10 days apart - should also feature at Stadio Dall'Ara.
Paz is set to link up with either Patrick Cutrone or Andrea Belotti in the visitors' attack, although Gabriel Strefezza started as a false nine last time out.
Elsewhere, Sergi Roberto is still struggling with a muscular injury, while full-backs Alberto Moreno and Ignace Van der Brempt both have flexor problems; Alessandro Gabrielloni may also miss out, but Edoardo Goldaniga returns after a one-match ban.
Bologna possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; De Silvestri, Lucumi, Beukema, Miranda; Freuler, Pobega; Ndoye, Odgaard, Dominguez; Castro
Como possible starting lineup:
Butez; Engelhardt, Goldaniga, Dossena, Jack; Da Cunha, Perrone; Strefezza, Paz, Fadera; Cutrone
We say: Bologna 1-0 Como
Hard-to-beat Bologna will welcome one of Serie A's least effective away sides to Emilia-Romagna, so they should still prevail in spite of any Champions League hangover.
In a multi-club fight for survival, Como's undoing could be failing to pick up more points on the road - and this represents one of their toughest assignments.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
