Napoli faces a significant challenge in their Serie A encounter against Bologna, with Kevin De Bruyne ruled out due to a fitness issue. However, the team welcomes back captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo after a three-month layoff. Bologna will feature Rasmus Hojlund, Alisson Santos, and Giovane in their attack against Santiago Castro’s side.
The match is set to kick off at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at 19:45 UK time (20:45 CEST).
Napoli is feeling the pressure in the race for Champions League spots, making a victory essential to distance themselves from their rivals. Giovane will step into the attacking trident alongside Hojlund and Alisson Santos in De Bruyne’s absence.
The midfield will be anchored by Scott McTominay and Stanislav Lobotka. The most significant news for Napoli is the return of Di Lorenzo, their captain, marking his first appearance since suffering a knee ligament injury on January 31st. He slots into the back three, with Matteo Politano and Miguel Gutierrez operating as wing-backs. David Neres and Romelu Lukaku remain unavailable.
Bologna has shifted their focus away from potentially securing a seventh-place finish, a spot that would have qualified them for the Conference League had Lazio lost the Coppa Italia Final. Their current objective is to end the season on a positive note, despite a recent run of one point from their last three games without scoring.
The team is dealing with several injuries, including Martin Vitik, Nicolò Cambiaghi, and Nicolò Casale. However, Joao Mario is back on the bench after recovering from a muscular problem.
Santiago Castro leads Bologna’s attack, having recently been named in Argentina’s preliminary 55-man World Cup squad. He will be supported by Riccardo Orsolini and Federico Bernardeschi, with Jonathan Rowe starting on the bench.
Bologna has a solid recent record against Napoli, having won their previous league encounter 2-0 at the Stadio Dall’Ara in November. However, they lost by the same scoreline in the Supercoppa Italiana Final on December 22nd.
Napoli vs. Bologna Official Line-ups
Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Politano, Lobotka, McTominay, Gutierrez; Giovane, Hojlund, Alisson
Bologna: Pessina; Joao Mario, Helland, Lucumì, Miranda; Ferguson, Freuler, Pobega; Orsolini, Castro, Bernardeschi