Bologna vs Lille prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – League phase betting tips on match 2024-11-26 20:00.
[p]Despite taking 48 shots across their four opening UEFA Champions League (UCL) games (D1, L3) this season, Bologna are still looking for their first goal in the tournament ahead of Lille’s visit to Italy on Wednesday. Only the 1993/94 Galatasaray side have failed to score in their first five games in the competition, and the Red and Blues are close to another unwanted record with no Italian side having previously lost more than three in a row during a single UCL campaign! [/p]
[p]After losing 1-0 at home to Monaco earlier in the month, this will be Bologna’s second successive European game against French opposition and although they got the better of Lyon in the Cup Winners Cup in 1999, they have not won any of their subsequent clashes with French teams. Worse still, Vincenzo Italiano’s men have picked up only one competitive win (D8, L1) at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara from mid-April onwards![/p]
[p]This fixture could well give Lille a good opportunity to extend their impressive upturn in away form in the UCL which has seen them win three of their last five (L2), the same number they chalked up from their first 20 games on the road in the tournament (D4, L13). On their last trip, they returned from Spain with a fine 3-1 victory over Atlético Madrid and they are unbeaten across their last five away games (W3, D2) across all competitions, scoring two or more in four of them.[/p]
[p]The Mastiffs begin this European gameweek 14th in the table, enough currently to earn a seeded knockout play-off place and only two points behind the top eight who advance automatically to the last 16. However, they do still have a trip to Liverpool to negotiate after Christmas, so Lille will be keen to lock in another three points during this week.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Bologna have scored in only four of their seven home games this season, with Riccardo Orsolini finding the back of the net after half-time in two of them. Edon Zhegrova has been directly involved in 50% of Lille’s 24 shots in this UCL campaign (8x shots, 4x chances created), the highest percentage by a player for a club this season.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: None of Lille’s last 13 UCL games have ended goalless.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Tom Penn[/i][/p]