It’s time for the Derby dell’Appennino. Prepared? No? Effectively, hopefully Fiorentina is, provided that the crew’s proven indicators of life recently, taking 8 factors from its previous 5 video games. Bologna, then again, has taken simply 5 factors from its final 5 and usually wanting fairly fragile. As everyone knows, although, present kind goes out the window through the derby, and that goes double for dealing with ex-mister Vincenzo Italiano’s model of the Oscar Meyers, particularly since Paolo Vanoli can be watching from the stands after getting despatched off in opposition to Milan final week, leaving lieutenant Daniele Cavalletto to run the present.
The match can be performed on Sunday, 18 January 2026, at 14:00 GMT/9:00 AM EST on the Stadio Renato dell’Ara in Bologna. The forecast requires a grey day and doubtlessly a little bit of rain however nothing too excessive. It’s value mentioning, too, that the away part’s 2500 tickets are offered out. Possibly that’s simply common pleasure for the derby or possibly the Viola followers are beginning to get behind their aspect once more after a pair vaguely competent outings.
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Three issues to observe for1. First begins for the brand new signings
Fiorentina’s been fairly busy within the January mercato, as you’d count on from a crew that had European aspirations however sits within the relegation locations. In have come Manor Solomon and Marco Brescianini are within the fold with Jack Harrison and a pair extra signings to return. Let’s concentrate on the pair presently within the fold, although, as each got here off the bench final week in opposition to AC Milan. I count on them to interchange Fabiano Parisi and Cher Ndour, respectively.
What meaning for this explicit sport is fascinating. Italiano’s Bologna will press intensely, after all, and Solomon’s tempo might supply Fiorentina a launch valve. He’ll in all probability keep excessive and extensive on the proper, stretching play to stop opponents from collapsing on Moise Kean within the center. The Israel worldwide’s battle with Juan Miranda needs to be fairly fascinating, however I wouldn’t be shocked if he obtained the liberty to modify wings often. Even so, his extensive positioning ought to encourage Dodô to tuck in much more than common.
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Brescianini’s job is trickier to parse. Ndour hasn’t been nice this 12 months however his temporary—drop in because the holding midfielder, cowl Albert Guðmundsson and Robin Gosens defensively, make huge runs excessive, and pull extensive so Guðmundsson can drift central—has been as tough as anybody’s in Serie A. I’ll be very to see if Brescianini’s absorbed the plan sufficient to interchange Ndour, particularly since he’s by no means been as a lot an off-ball participant, provided that his dribbling by means of the center has at all times been his standout high quality.
2. Fagioli’s degree
Over the previous month, Nicolò Fagioli has come into his personal, serving as Fiorentina’s artistic hub and rising as maybe its most necessary participant. He’s nearly solely liable for getting the ball from again to entrance, which implies he’s continuously dropping between the defenders to select up the ball and likewise searching for the killer cross within the last third. Dodô’s helped with the previous and Guðmundsson with the latter however this has been the Nicky Beans present.
Towards Bologna, he’ll have two challenges. The primary is exploiting the excessive Rossoblu line along with his passes excessive; he’s carried out that actually properly all 12 months, creating quite a lot of probabilities that Kean and Roberto Piccoli have squandered. The second is evading that livid Italiano press. Jens Odgaard and Lewis Ferguson aren’t languid quantity 10s; they each relish the unglamorous closing down and, if they’ll fetter Fagioli, Fiorentina’s odds of getting out of its personal half, a lot much less scoring, will plummet.
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3. A little bit character
The Renato dall’Ara has been raucous the earlier 160 instances Fiorentina’s made the journey over the mountains and there’s no purpose to count on any distinction on Sunday. Certainly, I nearly count on some additional vinegar from the Oscar Meyer trustworthy: they haven’t seen their crew win a Serie A sport at dwelling since mid-November and, as Bologna slides down the standings (presently in eighth and out of the European locations), they’ll be much more determined for a great outcome than common.
Into that cauldron comes essentially the most mentally-fragile crew in Italy. Certain, this cowardly lion’s seen the wizard and obtained one thing vaguely approximating braveness over the previous couple weeks, however coughing up stoppage time equalizers in its previous two outings can be proof of a crew that may’t keep switched on. The character of these errors is much more damning. To get something from this, Fiorentina can’t afford these mind farts. They’re most blatant on the again—blown assignments on set items, foolish little fouls within the field, failure to trace runners—however the unhealthy giveaways farther ahead and the horrendous ending are signs of the identical team-wide idiocy.
Attainable lineups
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Ravaglia; Miranda, Heggem, Vitík, Holm; Freuler, Moro; Cambiaghi, Odgaard, Orsolini; Castro ||| Fiorentina (4-3-3): de Gea; Gosens, Pongračić, Comuzzo, Dodô; Brescianini, Fagioli, Mandragora; Guðmundsson, Kean, Solomon
Ted’s Memorial Blind Guess Division
Predictably, the hosts are favourite. You may’t blame the bookies for leaning that means when 10 locations separate the edges within the desk. The road’s nearer than you may count on however the respective momentum these two groups have generated not too long ago means you would give Fiorentina a greater probability than anticipated. To be clear, I don’t advocate this as a result of Fiorentina is a nasty crew and betting on it can lose you cash; the aforementioned psychological fragility means it’ll in all probability fold like newspaper in a troublesome atmosphere.
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With that out of the best way, I predict a 1-2 win for the Viola, with Kean putting within the first half on the break and Rolando Mandragora smashing one dwelling from distance in stoppage time, with a Bologna defender of your alternative scoring within the final 5 minutes off a set piece. I’m additionally anticipating some fireworks: in 3 conferences between these two, Italiano took over on the dell’Ara, we’ve seen 17 yellow and a pair of pink playing cards, together with a sending off for Emil Holm and a donnybrook between Edin Džeko and Jhon Lucumí within the reverse fixture. Merely put, these groups dislike one another.
Forza Viola!