Bologna vs Monaco prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – League phase betting tips on match 2024-11-04 20:00.
[p]Reaching the UEFA Champions League (UCL) for the first time was a dream come true for Bologna fans, but it’s been more like a nightmare of late, with their side still yet to score a goal in the competition this season (D1, L2). A stalemate with Shakhtar Donetsk was followed by a pair of defeats in England to Liverpool and Aston Villa, but Vincenzo Italiano’s men can take heart from winning back-to-back games in Serie A since their most recent European defeat.[/p]
[p]The most recent of those victories came on home soil at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara where Bologna are unbeaten in any competition since March (W2, D8). That should stand them in good stead as they look to continue an incredible record of avoiding defeat in all 28 of their home matches in major European competition (W16, D12) – only Ipswich (30) have a longer such streak![/p]
[p]Monaco have enjoyed a stellar start to their UCL campaign, with the nine goals they’ve scored their joint-most at this stage of at this stage of a UCL campaign (W2, D1). Things have soured on the domestic front since thrashing Red Star Belgrade 5-1 on matchday three though, losing back-to-back league matches including a shock home reverse against newly-promoted Angers on Friday (1-0).[/p]
[p]Those defeats were all the more surprising considering that Monaco had been unbeaten in their first 11 competitive matches of the season before that (W8, D3). A miserable return of just three wins in 15 major European H2Hs against Italian opposition suggests things aren’t about to get better (D3, L9), especially as they’ve lost their last five such games on Italian soil.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: If anyone is to end Bologna’s UCL scoring drought, Riccardo Orsolini is surely the man as he’s netted three times in his last four matches, with each strike coming after the 30th minute. Takumi Minamino excelled for Monaco by directly contributing to three of their five goals against Red Star (G2, A1), but he’s yet to be involved in an away goal in any competition this term.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Monaco have never scored more than once in an away H2H against Italian opposition.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Ryan Fisher[/i][/p]