- 1 Bologna vs Sassuolo: an Emilia derby that lands at the wrong time for the Rossoblu
- 2 Bologna: decent enough football, but no cutting edge
- 3 Sassuolo: a team that scores and keeps moving
- 4 Serie A Prediction Bologna vs Sassuolo
- 5 First things first, a word on our free picks
- 6 No obligation on our part
- 7 Information that can change
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gaming first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Bologna vs Sassuolo: an Emilia derby that lands at the wrong time for the Rossoblu 
Two games, two defeats, zero goals scored. Bologna’s early Serie A record after two rounds leaves no room for spin.
Zero points for Bologna, but at least they have not been battered. Tedesco’s men have gone down by a single goal twice, first against Lazio and then against Atalanta. At the back, they are holding up. Up front, they have nothing. Two frustrating defeats that have hurt badly, when a bit of luck could have changed everything.
Sassuolo, by contrast, arrive in good spirits. They booked a place in the Coppa Italia last 16 on Wednesday, with Frosinone knocked out on penalties, and their Serie A start has been solid: beaten 2-1 in Bergamo, then bounced back by beating Torino 2-1.
What you need to know:
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Kick-off set: The game starts on Sunday at 18:00 at the Renato Dall’Ara Stadium in round three.
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Bologna under pressure: Tedesco’s attack has to find its range fast. The performances are not the issue. The points column is.
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Sassuolo full of belief: Aquilani’s side are sticking to their plan without flinching and will fancy their chances of punishing a home team already looking twitchy.
Both clubs have already faced Atalanta in the opening rounds and got the same result. The difference is what Sassuolo did next.
The contrast in style is obvious. Bologna build neatly but stall in the final third, while Sassuolo play on the front foot and score goals, even if it leaves space behind them.
Getting off zero points has become the urgent mission for Tedesco. That is what makes this one easy to read.
Bologna: decent enough football, but no cutting edge 
Zero points after two rounds is about as bad a start as it gets for a club aiming high. And yet both defeats have been narrow.
Against Lazio at the Dall’Ara and then in Bergamo, the team stayed organised and were never truly overrun. The defensive structure is not the problem.
The real issue is in the final 30 yards. Two games without scoring says more about a lack of end product than a lack of possession.
The build-up from the back is working. The last pass and the finish are not. That is the main job for Domenico Tedesco before this derby.
He will be without the injured Riccardo Orsolini. Federico Bernardeschi is expected to step in on the wing.
Losing your most dangerous wide player when you have not scored yet makes life a lot harder. Bernardeschi has a tough assignment.
The rest of the spine should stay intact, with Lukasz Skorupski in goal and a midfield built around Lewis Ferguson and Tommaso Pobega.
Up front, Roberto Piccoli now has to deliver. The No 9 role is where all the attention sits at the Dall’Ara.
Home support may help, but the pressure of needing a first result can weigh heavily. Bologna will have to come out of their cautious shell if they want a goal.
Two matches is nothing over the course of a Serie A season. But a third straight defeat would leave doubts hanging around Tedesco’s project for a long time.
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Sassuolo: a team that scores and keeps moving 
Three league goals in two matches is more than plenty of teams in the middle of the table can manage. Sassuolo are not shy when it comes to attack.
Their season began awkwardly in Bergamo, where the Neroverdi were edged out 2-1 by Atalanta. The response came straight away.
The 2-1 win over Torino backed up Alberto Aquilani’s work and got their campaign moving. Their approach is clearly more attack-minded than most teams in the lower half.
Scoring twice in each of their last two Serie A games tells you plenty about their intent. This is not a side looking to park up and protect what it has.
The penalty shootout win over Frosinone in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday adds confidence, even if it did cost some key players extra minutes.
That shootout is the only fitness concern heading into the trip to the Dall’Ara. Rotation will need watching.
Up front, Domenico Berardi and Armand Lauriente remain the two main wide threats, with Marko Bowie through the middle. That trio can do damage to a defence already under strain.
In midfield, Nemanja Matic brings the experience needed for a derby like this. It is the sort of game where that kind of presence matters.
The weak spot is still the goals against column, with three conceded in two matches. But against a Bologna side yet to score, that flaw may not be exposed.
Round three gives Sassuolo a clear chance to extend the gap over their Emilia neighbours. Even a point would preserve the cushion they have built over the first two games.
Probable Bologna line-up: Skorupski ; Holm, Heggem, Theate, Miranda ; Odgaard, Pobega, Ferguson ; Bernardeschi, Piccoli, Cambiaghi.
Probable Sassuolo line-up: Muric ; Van der Brempt, Idzes, Leysen, Doig ; Bakola, Matic, Adzic ; Berardi, Bowie, Lauriente.
Serie A Prediction Bologna vs Sassuolo
Our prediction: Sassuolo or draw (double chance)
Bologna have failed to score in their first two Serie A matches. A side that cannot find the net does not usually win derbies.
Sassuolo arrive with three league goals, a win over Torino and a Coppa Italia qualification earned on Wednesday. The momentum is with the Neroverdi.
The bet picks itself: Sassuolo should not leave the Dall’Ara empty-handed. We are backing the double chance X2.
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