Bologna Genoa prediction 2024-01-05

Bologna vs Genoa prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2024-01-04 19:45.
Fifth-place Bologna will be looking to keep the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara as a fortress in 2024 as they take on Genoa on Friday evening with a record of only one league defeat at home since late February (W9, D6). Their home record this season is only bettered by the top two teams in Serie A (SA) and they are targeting their seventh successive home league win here, alongside a fifth consecutive clean sheet in front of their own fans.

They have to recover from a heavy 3-0 defeat at Udinese in the last round, but if the Red and Blues can maintain their form from the opening 18 rounds in the second half of the season, then a top-five SA finish is more than achievable. That is something not attained since the 1970/71 campaign, while a return to European football after 22 years could very much be on the cards for Thiago Motta’s side!

Beginning the calendar year in 12th place and with a six-point cushion to the relegation places, it’s fair to say newly promoted Genoa will be satisfied with simply retaining their SA status this year. This looks more than attainable for The Griffin who ended 2023 with an impressive unbeaten three-game run, taking a point against the top two sides at home and winning away at relegation-threatened Sassuolo.

The victory at Sassuolo was only Genoa’s second away from home all season (D1, L6) and their second in 26 SA away matches! But while they have struggled on the road this campaign and in their previous season at this level, they have a far more impressive record in Bologna where they have lost just once on their last six visits (W3, D2).

Key battle: Bologna keeper Ɓukasz Skorupski is targeting his fourth successive clean sheet at home in this match. Hoping to end that streak is Genoa’s Albert Guðmundsson, who ended 2023 in excellent form with two goals and two assists from his last three games.

Hot stat: Just one of Bologna’s last 38 home SA games have produced four or more match goals.