Bologna vs Lazio prediction 24.08.2026 | Serie A

Bologna finished 5th in the 2023/24 season and then won the Coppa Italia in the following season, securing two consecutive European appearances. Last season, Rossoblù finished 8th and missed out on Europe by one spot, while also reaching the Europa League Quarter-Finals. Now, they will be focused only on domestic competitions, and their primary goal is to return to the top seven and once again secure European football. They will try to do that under new head coach Domenico Tedesco, who replaced Vincenzo Italiano after two years in charge. 

Over the summer, key players Santiago Castro, Jhon Lucumí, and Remo Freuler all left the squad, along with some rotation pieces. On the other hand, the club added replacements in Mikel Amondarain, Rahim Alhassane, Artem Dovbyk, and Roberto Piccoli, while Tommaso Pobega was signed on a permanent deal after spending last season on loan. Generally speaking, the team looks a bit weaker, likely due to not playing in Europe. 

Lazio had a turbulent season behind them. Not only did they finish 9th and miss out on Europe, but the fans have also boycotted their home games due to frustration with owner Claudio Lotito. Before this season, about 93% of last season's ticket holders refused to renew their tickets. Pretty much their only bright spot of the season is reaching the Coppa Italia final. But this season, they have already been eliminated by Mantova 2:0. 

Biancocelesti added some interesting players, including Davide Fratesi, Danilo Doekhi, and Alfonso Pedraza, as well as Boalaye Dia, who was previously on loan. However, some important players left: Mario Gila, Ivan Provedel, Toma Basic, and Pedro. We firmly believe they did not improve the squad and that they are around last season's level. They also made a coaching change, adding Gennaro Gattuso. There is a big question: is he the right man for the job, considering the delicate situation they are in with their fans?

For the first Serie A game of the season, the team will miss up to seven players. Alessio Romagnoli, Danilo Cataldi, Gustav Isaksen, and Nuno Tavares will all miss the game, and we can safely say they are an important part of the starting eleven.