Bologna vs Monza Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

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Bologna

vs

Monza

KickoffSaturday 31 October 2026, 2:00pm

VenueStadio Renato Dall'Ara

CompetitionItalian Serie A

Bologna went to San Siro midweek and absolutely tore AC Milan apart. Samuel Mbangula, a name not many outside of Emilia-Romagna would have had on their radar before Wednesday, left with a hat-trick and the Rossoblu left with three points from one of the most iconic grounds in world football. That is the kind of result that shifts the mood around a club entirely.

What makes it even more impressive is the context. Raffaele Palladino only took charge in mid-September and has had to navigate a squad riddled with injury problems while building momentum game by game. Bologna now sit 11th in Serie A with nine points from their last four matches after a wobbly start, and Monza arrive at the Dall’Ara as a side fighting to stay out of the bottom three. The gap between these two sides in terms of confidence and trajectory right now is significant.

Bologna vs Monza Match Details

This Serie A fixture takes place at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in Bologna, with Palladino getting his first real taste of what a home crowd can bring to his side. Monza make the trip from Lombardy knowing that a seventh league defeat of the campaign could drag them into the relegation zone.

Team News

Bologna are carrying a few players through knocks and Palladino will be sweating on some assessments before naming his squad. Monza have a couple of returns to consider but remain without key figures at the back.

• Lorenzo De Silvestri (muscle) and Jay Enem (Achilles) are both doubts for Bologna and will be assessed closer to kickoff
• Riccardo Orsolini (thigh), Emil Holm (thigh) and Roberto Piccoli (hamstring) are all ruled out for the hosts
• Michael Folorunsho and Yvan Maye could return to the Monza squad after missing the Napoli defeat
• Jan Ziolkowski and Matteo Pessina (knee) are definitely out for the visitors

Predicted Lineups

Despite Mbangula’s stunning hat-trick at the San Siro, he is not nailed on to start here. Palladino is expected to go with Nicolo Cambiaghi and Federico Bernardeschi as his inside forwards behind Jens Odgaard through the middle. That tells you something about the depth Palladino has at his disposal, and also about his trust in a system over individual moments. Juan Miranda at left back is someone to watch closely given his four assists already this season.

Monza are likely to set up with Gustavo Varela as the focal point of their attack, and given he has eight Serie A goals this season, that is a completely reasonable plan. Behind him, Mota and Robinson provide the creative energy, while Ivan Juric will hope a midfield of Ondoa and Akinsanmiro can offer enough protection to a back four that has been leaking badly.

Recent Form

Bologna’s form under Palladino reads well on paper but there is an interesting wrinkle buried in the numbers. All three of their wins since he took over have come away from home, at Lecce, at Cagliari, and now at Milan. Their only home game under the new gaffer ended in a 3-1 defeat to Inter Milan. You have to balance that against the quality of the opposition that day, but it is worth noting that the Dall’Ara has not yet been the fortress Palladino will want it to be.

Monza’s situation is more straightforward and more alarming. They gave Napoli a proper game for forty-five minutes, with Varela scoring just before the break to make it 1-1, but they fell apart completely after the interval and ended up on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline. Juric spoke about drawing encouragement from the first half, and he is right that there were signs of life, but the second half collapse was a reminder of how fragile this side is when teams go through the gears.

Monza have scored 16 goals, more than any other club in the bottom half of Serie A, which proves they are not toothless. The problem is they have conceded 22, the worst defensive record in the division. You cannot concede at that rate and expect to stay up. Juric knows this better than anyone.

Head-to-Head Record

These two clubs have not built up an enormous body of head-to-head history given Monza’s relatively recent arrival in Serie A, but the fixture record does not offer much comfort for the visitors. Bologna have generally had the better of things when the sides have met at the Dall’Ara, and home advantage has tended to be a meaningful factor in those encounters.

Monza will also be aware that Palladino managed them previously before moving to Bologna, so there is a tactical familiarity angle here that could cut both ways. He will know exactly how Juric sets his side up and where the weaknesses lie.

Key Stats

• Monza have conceded 22 Serie A goals this season, more than any other club in the division
• Bologna have won all three of their matches under Palladino away from home but are yet to win at the Dall’Ara under him
• Gustavo Varela leads the Capocannoniere race outright with eight goals, one ahead of Donyell Malen and Antonio Raimondo

Bologna vs Monza Betting Tips

Bologna winning this feels like the most logical outcome, and the markets will reflect that. The angle worth exploring is not just who wins but how the game plays out. Monza will push forward because they have to, their season is at a tipping point already, and Bologna have the quality to punish teams on the break as they did in Milan. Goals at both ends is entirely plausible, and there are some interesting individual markets too given the firepower on display.

Corners Prediction

Bologna like to dominate the ball when they are at home and Monza will be forced onto the back foot for long stretches, which should generate a healthy volume of corners from the hosts pressing forward. Expect a high corner count in this one, with Bologna taking the majority. Over 9.5 corners looks a reasonable shout.

First Goalscorer Prediction

Gustavo Varela is the standout pick here. Eight goals in Serie A already this season, leading scorer in the division, and Monza will need him to deliver if they are to take anything from this game. He showed against Napoli that he is capable of scoring against strong opposition and he is the kind of forward who finds a way regardless of how the team around him is performing.

Correct Score Prediction

A 2-1 home win feels right for this one. Bologna have enough going forward to put Monza away, but the visitors carry enough attacking threat to nick a goal, particularly given how open this game could become. The Rossoblu seal the points but Monza give their fans something to cheer.

Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Prediction

Yes. Monza have scored in most of their fixtures this season despite their defensive chaos, and Varela in particular is too good to be kept quiet for ninety minutes. Bologna are not a watertight defensive unit either, and with Juric’s side needing a result, they will commit men forward and leave spaces. Back both teams to score.

Cards Prediction

This is a game where Monza need points badly and their all-or-nothing style tends to generate a decent card count. Juric sides have always been physically combative and when they are chasing a game the tackles can fly in. Expect four or more cards across the ninety minutes, with the visitors the more likely source of bookings.

Bet Builder Tip

Bologna winning while both teams score is perfectly aligned with a game where the hosts have the quality to take control but Varela is too dangerous to be silenced, and backing him to open the scoring adds real value to the combination.

Final Match Prediction

Bologna are the right side to back here. The momentum is with them, the squad depth is impressive even with the injury list, and Palladino has clearly hit on a system and a mentality that is clicking. Winning at San Siro does funny things to a dressing room and the Dall’Ara crowd will be bouncing after that result.

Monza will not go quietly. Varela will cause problems and Juric will set them up to press high and be aggressive from the first whistle. But the gulf in defensive quality is too big to ignore. Bologna take this 2-1 and claim that first home win of the Palladino era.

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