Key Facts
- Inter arrives as champions with the Coppa Italia title; Bologna is all but assured of eighth place, so the focus is more on finishing the season on a high note.
- Bologna showed resilience in their 1-0 win in Bergamo, but the losses to Juventus and Roma exposed problems with attacking potency and defensive stability.
- Riccardo Orsolini recently scored off an assist from Jonathan Rowe; without Nicolò Cambiaghi and two center backs, Bologna’s margin for error against Inter is slim.
- Inter hasn’t lost any of its last five competitive matches and often takes control early, though the 1-1 draw against Verona showed signs of celebration mode and rotation.
- Head-to-head matches have been close: Bologna has scored in four of their last five games against Inter, but hasn’t won a first half in that stretch.
- The tip for Inter at halftime is based on four first-half wins in five games and Bologna’s two most recent halftime deficits.
Inter arrives at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara with a league title, the Coppa Italia, and a nearly finalized contract extension for Cristian Chivu—so with plenty of momentum, but also with the question of how sharp their focus still is in the final league match. Under Vincenzo Italiano, FC Bologna just secured a late 1-0 win at Atalanta thanks to Riccardo Orsolini, a result that confirmed the team’s resilience, even though eighth place is all but certain. The last league clash in January 2026 went 3-1 to Inter, but Bologna had held the Milan side at bay for a long time in the Super Cup semifinals a few weeks earlier, eventually prevailing 1-1 on penalties.
- Venue: Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna
- Date and time: May 23, 2026, 6:00 PM
- Competition: Serie A (Matchday 38)
Chivu’s team often takes control early on, while Bologna has been vulnerable in the opening stages and is without Martin Vitík and Nicolò Casale in defense. Under 3.5 goals also fits FC Bologna’s recent pattern, and Nicolò Cambiaghi’s absence further supports Both Teams to Score: No.
FC Bologna Form & Record Check
FC Bologna’s 1-0 win at Atalanta wasn’t a spectacular performance, but it showcased exactly the kind of practical edge that has kept Italiano’s team competitive late in the season.
Riccardo Orsolini decided the match after an assist from Jonathan Rowe, and the clean sheet carried weight after previous losses to Juventus and AS Roma had exposed a lack of cutting edge and defensive solidity. In their last five league games, Bologna won at Napoli and Atalanta, drew 0-0 with Cagliari, and lost 2-0 to both Juventus and AS Roma. That paints an interesting picture: strong away against top opponents, but rather lackluster at home recently. With Nicolò Cambiaghi out and two center backs sidelined, there seems to be little room for error against Inter.
FC Bologna’s likely starting lineup is expected to be a 4-3-3, with Lukasz Skorupski likely in goal behind João Mário (17), Jhon Lucumí (26), Torbjørn Heggem (14), and Juan Miranda (33). With Martin Vitík, Nicolò Casale, and Nicolò Cambiaghi out, Jhon Lucumí (26), Torbjørn Heggem (14), and Jonathan Rowe (11) are the obvious choices to fill in.
Inter Form & Record Check
Inter’s 1-1 draw against Hellas Verona was still overshadowed by the cup presentation, so this performance needs to be put into context. Inter took the lead shortly after halftime on an own goal, rotated their lineup heavily, and were caught out late in the game. It didn’t change the big picture, but it was an indication that games played in “celebration mode” can lose intensity once the actual work is done. Prior to that, Inter had beaten Lazio 2-0 in the Coppa Italia final, defeated Lazio 3-0 in the league, and controlled Parma with a 2-0 win. Their last five competitive matches have yielded three wins and two draws, along with a consistent scoring rate. It remains striking how often Inter takes control of matches early on, which makes a look at the first half particularly interesting here.
Inter is likely to stick with Cristian Chivu’s familiar 3-5-2 formation, with Yann Sommer expected in goal behind Manuel Akanji (25), Stefan de Vrij (6), and Alessandro Bastoni (95). With no injuries reported, the midfield axis should feature Nicolò Barella (23) and Hakan Çalhanoğlu (20), while Lautaro Martínez (10) and Marcus Thuram (9) are expected to form the attacking duo.
FC Bologna – Inter Head-to-Head & Stats
The last five meetings have been closer than Inter’s overall dominance might suggest. Inter won 3-1 in January 2026 and 1-0 in 2024, while Bologna secured a notable 1-0 victory in regulation time in 2025. The Super Cup semifinal in December 2025 ended 1-1 before Bologna advanced on penalty kicks, and the 2025 league match in Milan finished 2-2. This pattern is quite useful for the forecast. Bologna has scored in four of the last five games against Inter, but has also conceded a goal in four of them. Inter scored in the first half in four of those matches, while Bologna did not win a single first half in that stretch. Interestingly, fewer than 1.5 goals were scored in the second half in four consecutive head-to-head matches.
