Here you'll find football corners betting tips from our expert football analyst, Liam Johnson. All of the corner predictions published here on WhichBookie are 100% free.
Parma
BolognaBologna have been quietly building something special under Raffaele Palladino. Since he took the reins in mid September, only Lazio have accumulated more Serie A points, and the Rossoblu head into this Derby dell’Emilia on the back of three consecutive wins. That includes a remarkable result at San Siro where Samuel Mbangula bagged a hat trick to down AC Milan. When a side is beating the big boys away from home and grinding out results when it is not flowing, you know the momentum is real.
Parma are not exactly rolling over though. Alberto Gilardino steadied the ship after a rough start to his tenure, pulling out a goalless draw with Udinese before stunning a weakened Atalanta 3 0 on Monday night. Rising forward Simone Lontani grabbed the final goal in that victory, lifting the Gialloblu out of the relegation zone. This is a local derby with genuine stakes for both clubs, and the Tardini should be a cauldron for it.
This Serie A fixture takes place at Stadio Tardini in Parma, one of those compact, atmospheric grounds where the crowd feels right on top of you. The Derby dell’Emilia carries real regional pride and with Parma scrapping to stay up and Bologna pushing for a European spot, the contrast in circumstances makes it all the more intriguing as a fixture.
Parma have a couple of absences to manage heading into a game they can ill afford to get wrong. Bologna are without a few familiar names too but carry enough depth in key areas to cope.
Gilardino looks set to stick with the shape that served him well against Atalanta. Ndiaye comes in at the back and the attacking selection is the real puzzle for the Parma boss given the number of options he has in the final third. Lontani is in form and should keep his place, with El Bilal Toure likely to partner him, though David Romero, Nesta Elphege, Ousmane Diallo and Matija Frigan are all pushing for involvement.
Palladino is expected to field a recognisable Bologna side. Skorupski starts in goal having already shown his worth with that penalty save against Monza. The key men in the final third will be Mbangula and Federico Bernardeschi on the wings, with Jens Odgaard leading the line. Juan Miranda at left back is another one to watch given his creative output recently.
Parma had been in a rough patch before Gilardino managed to find some traction. His first two games in charge ended in defeat, and there were real fears the club was sliding into a crisis. The draw with Udinese at least gave them a base to work from, and the Atalanta result was about as convincing as it gets. Three goals, a clean sheet, and a performance full of energy and belief. Lontani in particular looks like a player who is finding his feet in Serie A, with three goals from just four shots on target. That is a clinical return and it makes him a threat.
Bologna’s form over the last few weeks has been outstanding. The win at Cagliari suggested they could grind out results on the road, but beating Milan at San Siro was something else entirely. Mbangula’s hat trick was electric, and it signalled that this squad has match winners in it. The 2 1 comeback win over Monza at home was harder work but grinding those out is what good sides do. Crucially, they also shut down a penalty through Skorupski, which shows the defensive organisation Palladino has instilled.
Away from home Bologna have been particularly potent. With 10 top flight away wins already in this calendar year, a tally that is already a club record with nearly two months still to play, they are a genuinely difficult side to face on your own patch. Only Como have more away wins in Serie A this calendar year, which tells you everything about the confidence and consistency they carry on the road.
Parma recorded a 1 0 win over Bologna back in February, their most recent meeting in this fixture, and they will be hoping to make it back to back victories in the Derby dell’Emilia. That would be a rare achievement and something the Tardini faithful will be firmly behind. However, the head to head picture at this venue over recent years tilts in Bologna’s favour, with the visitors having lost just one of their last seven Serie A visits to Parma. That away record here is a significant factor when you are trying to price this one up.
Bologna are the form side here and their away record this year is simply extraordinary. That said, Parma have momentum of their own after that Atalanta result and they will come at this with real energy in front of their own supporters. The smart money looks to be with the visitors, but the game could be closer than the league standings suggest before Bologna’s quality tells.
Leaning towards no on this one. Parma have attacking options but Bologna have looked solid defensively under Palladino, and the visitors kept a clean sheet in their win at Cagliari. Parma showed quality going forward against Atalanta but that was against a side in poor form. Bologna’s back line looks more organised. BTTS no is the call.
Bologna like to press high and dominate possession, and Parma will likely sit deep at times given the quality they are facing. That tends to generate corners at both ends as the visitors probe around the box. Over 9.5 corners looks a reasonable call given both sides’ tendencies, particularly with Bologna’s wide players likely to be active throughout.
Samuel Mbangula is the standout pick here. The winger has three Serie A goals this season and is clearly in the form of his life after that hat trick at San Siro. He operates in the kind of positions where he can get in behind a backpedalling back line, and Parma without Drobnic might look slightly vulnerable down their left side. Mbangula to score first is the selection.
Bologna to win 2 0 looks the most likely outcome. Their defensive solidity on the road, combined with Parma’s reliance on a strike force that is still finding its footing at this level, points towards a controlled away victory. The visitors have the quality to put this to bed without necessarily needing to go through the gears.
Derby games in Italy always carry a bit of edge, and this one has promotion and relegation implications on one side and European ambitions on the other. Parma’s players will be fired up in front of their own fans and there is likely to be a feisty spell mid game when tackles fly in. Over 3.5 cards looks worth a look in a fixture with this much riding on it.
Under 2.5 goals is the lean here. Parma have been defensively solid recently, their last two games producing just two goals combined, and Bologna are building their success on a foundation of defensive organisation rather than free scoring football. A tight, controlled game that ends with a couple of goals feels more likely than an open affair.
| Market | Selection |
|---|---|
| Match Result | Bologna to Win |
| Both Teams To Score | No |
| First Goalscorer | Samuel Mbangula |
Bologna’s away form is simply too good to ignore, Mbangula is in blistering form, and the visitors’ defensive record under Palladino supports the idea that Parma may struggle to find a way through.
Parma have done well to rediscover some form and the Tardini crowd will give them a lift, but Bologna are on a different level right now. Palladino has built something coherent and dangerous, with match winners all over the pitch. The visitors’ away record this year is historic, and there is no obvious reason why this should be the game where it falls apart.
Expect Bologna to come out of this with all three points. Parma may make it uncomfortable early on, but the quality in the Rossoblu squad should tell. A 0 2 away win is the prediction, with Mbangula the most likely name on the scoresheet.
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