Fiorentina - Bologna predictions and free betting tips [09/01/2024]

On Tuesday, 9th January, as part of the Italian Cup quarter-finals, Fiorentina will host Bologna on their home turf. Over the past weekend, "La Viola" stumbled against Sassuolo, while Bologna defeated Inter Milan in the previous round and is eager to clinch their first national cup in the last 50 years.

Predicted Line-ups

Fiorentina: Christensen; Kayode, Milenkovic, Ranieri, Parisi; Duncan, Arthur; Ikone, Barak, Brekalo; Beltran.
Bologna: Skorupski; De Silvestri, Beukema, Calafiori, Kristiansen; Moro, Aebischer; Orsolini, Ferguson, Saelemaekers; Zirkzee.  

Fiorentina

In the opening round of the Italian Cup, Fiorentina struggled to beat Parma (2:2, winning on penalties); the Tuscan side trailed by two goals with 10 minutes to go. Accurate strikes from Mbala Nzola and Riccardo Sottil allowed them to push the game into extra time. In the domestic league, "La Viola" are performing very well and currently hold the 4th position in the league table, one point ahead of the 5th position which does not qualify for the Champions League. However, to the dismay of the team's fans, over the past weekend, the Tuscans fell to Sassuolo with a score of 1:0 – Andrea Pinamonti's goal made the difference.

Consequently, they ended a run of five Serie A games without a defeat (four wins and one draw). Taking the first place in their group in the Europa Conference League, Fiorentina secured direct entry to the 1/8 finals of the tournament. Next week, Vincenzo Italiano's charges will head to Saudi Arabia for the Super Cup, leaving little time for warm-up. 

Bologna

In the previous rounds of the Cup, Bologna beat Verona (2:0) and then pulled a surprise by defeating Inter on the road (1:2 after extra time). Thiago Motta's side are seriously aiming to insert themselves into the competition for the Europa League spots this season. Currently, the Rossoblu rank 5th in the Serie A table, trailing their upcoming opponents by just one point.

After five games without a defeat (four wins and one draw), the Rossoblu have slowed down over the last two weeks: Losing 3:0 to Udinese before reaching a stalemate against Genoa at home (1:1), where veteran defender Lorenzo De Silvestri equalised in the final minutes of the game. Nonetheless, Bologna remained unbeaten in their last 10 home games, eight of which were victories. On the downside, Bologna only secured one away victory in Serie A, which is a cause for concern. 

Head-to-Head Contests

The teams have already faced off in the current season's championship, with La Viola prevailing 2:1 thanks to goals by Nico Gonzalez and Giacomo Bonaventura.

Match Prediction for Fiorentina vs. Bologna

With the teams following each other closely in the domestic championship, fans should expect a fierce battle at the Artemio Franchi. "La Viola" have been showing impressive performance at home, achieving six straight victories. "Bologna", on the other hand, hasn't been faring well on the road and they do fall short of their counterparts in terms of experience. I'll take a risk and bet on the host's progression into the next round.

Total Prediction

In the three previous head-to-head duels, the squads consistently managed to score goals against each other. Both teams boast a strong offensive line and are capable of striking at least once.

Corner Prediction

Expecting plenty of threatening situations and open play from the teams, I'm placing my bet on a total tally of over 8.5 corners.

Yellow Card Prediction

This season, Bologna has been earning on average one yellow card per game, while "La Viola" average three. I'm betting on the host's dominance in terms of cautions.  

Scoreline Prediction

I'll place my bet on a precise score of 2:1 in favour of Fiorentina.