Bologna challenges Udinese for the Champions League dream and the Coppa Italia final

The mission at this point is almost obligatory: to conquer Udine to regain fourth place and remain attached to the Champions League dream. But also, we add, to avoid unpleasant surprises. After the victories signed yesterday by Juve, Roma and Fiorentina (and today Lazio takes the field) the fight for Europe has become a great pile-up in which it is enough to put one foot wrong and you immediately find yourself with nothing in your hand. In short, those who stop are lost, as Vincenzo Italiano knows well, who however this evening, due to the disqualification received after the expulsion with Inter, will pass the baton on the bench to the assistant Daniel Niccolini.

His Bologna is flying on the wings of enthusiasm for having conquered the historic Coppa Italia final against Milan this week. But May 14 is far away while the game is being played today in Udine and if there is one key that Italiano has been hammering on in recent days it has been the need to quickly reset the recent glories and potential future glories, because in Serie A there is always a danger lurking behind every curve. Even behind every training session, as Ndoye knows well, yesterday excluded from the list of those called up due to a muscular problem suffered on Saturday in training at Casteldebole which puts him at risk also for the Coppa Italia final in Rome. Even if without the Swiss international, the rossoblù machine today cannot afford to skid, or even just to slow down. In addition, there is the shame of the last away match played in Friuli to be erased.

Last season, the triple tumble at the Bluenergy Stadium (a 0-3 dated December 30, 2023) seemed to undermine the solid certainties of Motta's Bologna, who after that bad fall took the blow and took a few games to resume their triumphal march towards the Cup with the big ears. More generally, in the last eight trips to Friulian soil, only once has Bologna returned with the scalp of three points (a 2-1 signed by Motta himself in his first year in red and blue): 2 draws and 5 defeats complete the balance. Five are also the knockouts in a row that have undermined the confidence in the work of Runjaic, pilot of an Udinese that as soon as it settled on the pillow of 40 points, it dozed off: it is the syndrome of salvation in the safe in spring, an illness that, in a past that today seems very remote, Saputo's Bologna also had to deal with.

Udine then: knowing that a victory tonight would give even more flavor to the face to face with Juventus scheduled in six days at the Dall'Ara. And because when the going gets tough the tough get going, with the exception of the injured Ndoye Italiano tonight could return to the starting lineup strategic pieces such as Skorupski, Miranda, Calabria and Odgaard (and there is the Castro doubt), putting fuel in the legs, perhaps during the game, of another excellent recovered player like captain Ferguson. The choice will certainly fall on who is able to offer the greatest guarantees on the athletic level, because Udinese, in addition to the anger from fasting for points, will bring their physique to the field. One certainty: it is forbidden to shy away from the battle.