Serie A: Immobile Will Have His Stadio Olimpico Homecoming

Lazio vs Bologna

Ciro Immobile will return to a familiar place, as Lazio host Bologna at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday. However, this time, the 35-year-old striker is on the other side. Regardless, we won’t be surprised if he receives a warm welcome from the fans after being away for one full year.

Lazio’s quest to return to European football next season continues, and Maurizio Sarri’s men are on their way. The Biancocelesti are currently eighth in the Serie A standings with 18 points, level with ninth-seeded Udinese. However, their recent Serie A 2025 results have been mixed.

Meanwhile, Bologna are two notches above Lazio with 24 points, and they are four points adrift of first place. With that said, there’s a huge incentive for Vincenzo Italiano’s side to win this road game.

 

Talking Points

Sarri is steadying the ship for Lazio

After failing to secure a European football spot last season, Lazio decided to replace Marco Baroni with Maurizio Sarri, who took a 15-month sabbatical, and it’s back to regular programming for the Biancocelesti.

Lazio are hovering in the top half of the Italian top-flight standings and are one step closer to winning a domestic trophy following last night’s gritty 1-0 win, eliminating AC Milan (the previous year’s finalists) in the Coppa Italia Round of 16. This was their revenge for their controversial league loss against the Rossoneri last weekend, when they were denied a penalty (in their favour) after Strahinja Pavlovic’s handball in the dying minutes.

Mattia Zaccagni scored the winning goal in the 80th minute with an uncharacteristic header off of Nuno Tavares’ corner kick. Tijjani Noslin came close to scoring Lazio’s second in the 85th minute but was denied by AC Milan’s Mike Maignan. AC Milan’s last chance was Christian Pulisic’s attempt after a Davide Bartesaghi cross, but Lazio’s backup goalie Christos Mandas came to the rescue.

Overall, Sarri is doing a good job of maximising his current roster, effectively moving on from Immobile. Zaccagni and Matteo Cancellieri lead the team in scoring with three goals, while Matteo Guendouzi and Taty Castellanos have two each. Toma Basic is playing for a new contract and has been solid with one goal and two assists.

 

The kids are alright for Bologna

Ciro Immobile will return to Stadio Olimpico this weekend, but we’re not expecting him to play heavy minutes against his former employers. The 35-year-old striker recently returned to action, missing time due to a strained thigh, and Immobile will likely come off the bench if necessary.

Fortunately for the Rossoblu, they have Riccardo Orsolini, Santiago Castro, Jens Odgaard, Nicolo Cambiaghi, and Tommaso Pobega handling the scoring, accounting for 16 of the team’s 22 league goals this term. With six goals, Orsolini is level with Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez in the Capocannoniere race. 

Bologna are fresh from a 2-1 comeback win over Parma in the Coppa Italia Round of 16, as Jonathan Rowe and Santiago Castro were on the scoresheet.  

 

History

Lazio and Bologna split their two league meetings last season, and both of them featured several goals. The Biancocelesti won 3-0 at home in November 2024, as Samuel Gigot, Mattia Zaccagni, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru were on the scoresheet. The Rossoblu got their revenge four months later in the reverse fixture, winning 5-0, courtesy of goals from Jens Odgaard, Riccardo Orsolini, Dan Ndoye, Santiago Castro, and Giovanni Fabbian. The Rossoblu won three of their last six meetings against the Biancocelesti in Serie A.

Lazio are unbeaten in their last five home games, including four straight across all competitions. On the other hand, Bologna haven’t lost on the road in any of their last six across all competitions, with their last such defeat on September against Aston Villa (1-0) in the Champions League.

 

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP Serie A 2025 odds predict a close contest between Lazio and Bologna this weekend. Lazio have the slight edge at 2.41, even if they’re lower in the standings. Bologna are not far behind at 2.81, and a draw is at 2.98 in the 1X2 market.

Their recent encounters may have been high-scoring, but their recent form and history suggest this might not be the case on Sunday. Besides our recommended bet, bettors may also want to add Under 2.25 at 1.76, Under 1.75 at 2.38, and even Total Goal 0-1 at 2.63 to the parlay. However, if you’re not feeling those bets, check out the Correct Score of 3-0 in favour of the hosts – the result of their last home meeting – as it is on a staggering offer of 30.00.

   

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