AC MILAN v BOLOGNA: OPPONENT REVIEW

Five days later, AC Milan will face Bologna again. Compared to matchday 36, the only two things in common will be the teams facing off. The venue - Stadio Olimpico in Rome - and the competition will change, as we will be involved in the final of the Coppa Italia. Sassuolo, Roma and Inter are the teams we've faced to reach the final in the Capital. The Felsinei took on Monza, Atalanta and Empoli to reach this point. The two sides will be playing for a trophy that hasn't been in either of their cabinets for some time: 22 years for the Rossoneri, who were finalists in 2018; while it's been 51 years for the Rossoblù, who haven't reached the final since their win in 1974 in Rome, against Palermo. 

What's at stake in the 90 minutes (and possibly extra time and penalties) is not just limited to the trophy, given that the winner will qualify for next year's Europa League: an eventuality that is currently out of reach for Conceição's and Italiano's sides, who sit just outside of the positions which would grant them qualification to Europe. This meeting won't be the first between AC Milan and Bologna in the Coppa Italia, the two sides have faced off 14 times before, most recently in the 1995/96 season - but never before have these two historic clubs met in a final. 

THE LEGACY OF FRIDAY'S CLASH AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF BOTH TEAMS
When thinking about Bologna, we can't start from the most recent memory, the game just gone in the league. The game unfolded quite differently compared to the first Serie A meeting in late February. At the Dall'Ara, the Rossoblù fought back in the second half after going behind, while at San Siro, AC Milan bounced back during the second half to overturn Orsolini's goal to make it 1-0. It shouldn't be surprising, then, that the two teams facing off at the Olimpico, are those that have gained the most points this season from losing positions. AC Milan and Bologna have shown their ability to stay in matches, a characteristic that they have developed in different ways. One similarity between the two sides has been Bologna's dominance of the ball in the first 45 minutes of the matches played, whereas the second halves have tended to be more balanced. Another difference that comes to mind is the tactical setups, clearly demonstrated in the first two meetings in the Serie A. 

On one side there is a team that plays a very high defensive line in Italiano's Bologna (52.6 metres on average at Dall'Ara, 54.5 metres at San Siro), and on the other hand an AC Milan side who tend to sit back a bit more, especially since turning to a back three: the Rossoneri, in fact, have drastically lowered their positioning, dropping from 50.5 metres in February to 40.5 last weekend in the league. A consequence of this change can be seen in the vertical passes made: while AC Milan maintained similar numbers to the first match, Bologna played 22 less vertical passes, finding it more difficult against the Rossoneri. Comparing the two matches, it can be said that the recent tactical change of the Rossoneri has not weakened the side's ability to defend a team with a strong attacking identity like Bologna, but strengthened it: AC Milan consistently adopted a low block in the recovery of the ball, increased successful interventions in their own area, and at the same time showed greater attacking efficiency once the play turned over in their favour.

INDIVIDUALS AND EXPERIENCE IN BIG MATCHES
52 matches for one side, 48 for the other. Together, AC Milan and Bologna have played 100 matches in all competitions in the 2024/25 season, a season which can be labelled as a very long one as it approaches the run in. Both sides have experienced different patches and phases of good form, with a slow start for both (the Rossoblù won just one of their first ten matches in the season) alongside a progressive improvement in results, especially in the Winter period. The Rossoneri have, perhaps, been more inconsistent overall, but come into the clash with better form in recent games (12 points in five matches against just five points). Ahead of the final, it's worth evaluating the return of three important players for Bologna, starting with Dan Ndoye: the Swiss forward is enjoying a breakout season so far, marked by his eight goals in the league, one of which came against AC Milan in February. The Swedish defender Holm and Danish forward Odgaard are also available, both players could be valuable off the bench, especially if the game goes to extra-time. 

The main danger is still Riccardo Orsolini. He has scored three of his sides' last five goals and despite not having beaten AC Milan in his career yet (he was absent for the first meeting between the sides in the league), his excellent form makes him a player that the AC Milan defence will have to monitor attentively. Through the middle, Italiano has two options he can go for: while Santiago Castro's season has been better, Thijs Dallinga was decisive with his three goals in the semi-final to reserve Bologna's spot in the final. There are also several certainties in the lineup starting from Skorupski between the sticks, the centre back partnership of Lucumí and Beukema with Miranda as a left-back, and the duo of Freuler and Ferguson (although fellow Swiss international Aebischer is pushing to start) in the middle of Italiano's traditional 4-2-3-1 formation. An effort from all 11 players and also the five (or six) who are substituted on will be required: AC Milan have more experience, but Bologna shouldn't be underestimated when it comes to experience, given the number of established international players in their ranks and their Champions League adventure. 

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