BOLOGNA v AC MILAN: OPPONENT REVIEW

On matchday 1 in Serie A TIM 2023/24, AC Milan visit Thiago Motta's Bologna following a summer pre-season programme at Milanello and in the USA. The Rossoblù, on the back of their best ever top-flight points haul (54) in the three-points-for-a-win era, under Thiago Motta have found the right balance between modern football, defence and attack, which has brought excellent results and enthused the team's fans.

Bologna will be looking to repeat their high-placed finish in the table once again this season and will kick off the season against AC Milan for the fourth time; the last time was in 2020 at San Siro. The side from Emilia-Romagna have always been a hard nut to crack at home, even more so on the opening day of the season: they have lost just once in eleven games when starting their league campaign at the Dall'Ara (five wins, five draws).

THIAGO MOTTA'S BOLOGNA: IRON-CLAD DEFENCE AND AN UNPREDICTABLE ATTACK
While enjoying an ever-growing reputation as a modern and tactically innovative coach, Thiago Motta has built his side's success on a strong defence. Last season, including the first part when he wasn't in charge, Bologna made Dall'Ara a fortress, having the best home defensive record in Serie A with only 14 goals conceded. How? Mainly due to keeping the ball, yet still looking to be productive (55.3% their average possession stats at the end of the campaign), while turning down an ultra-aggressive attacking approach and benefitting from a more organised setup.

Added to this was the numerous ways they attacked and penetrated their opponents, taking advantage of quick breakaways on the counter from their widemen, but also from central midfielders' timely runs into the box and backpost finishes from full-backs. Overall, they ended up with 13 different goalscorers with the Felsinei's attacking dangerman Riccardo Orsolini finishing the season in fine form, ending up in double figures (eleven goals and four assists).

POSCH AND FERGUSON LOOKING TO PUSH ON
Bologna will be looking for big things once again this season from the duo Stefan Posch and Lewis Ferguson, who in last year's Serie A revealed themselves as pleasant surprises for their performances and productivity. At the Dall'Ara, AC Milan's left-hand side, occupied by Theo Hernández, could see fireworks coming up against Posch, who last season was the league's most prolific defender going forward with six goals (and two assists), becoming Bologna's first defender to score more than five goals in a single Serie A campaign since Salvatore Fresi (eight in 2001/02). Posch is also a threat in the air, either when timing runs into the box at the backpost behind the opposing fullback or at set-pieces.

Like the Austrian defender, also the Scot Lewis Ferguson surprised Bologna fans with seven goals in his first Serie A experience, having the ability to find spaces in uncommon areas and a technical quality from the edge of the opponent's 18-yard box that can make the difference. Another player Thiago Motta will be counting on is Joshua Zirkzee: the Dutch forward has been firing on all cylinders this preseason and caught everyone's attention with a stunning goal against Cesena in the Coppa Italia recently; the Italo-Brazilian Coach is ready to trust him to lead the frontline.

The AC Milan PUMA Third Kit for 2023/24 is available: buy it now!