Sunday 07/09/2014, 16:00, Italy Serie B, Round 2 Bologna vs Virtus Entella

Bologna vs Virtus Entella Betting Preview

Bologna is mired in a lengthy losing streak and they also lost the opening game in Serie B after suffering a late-season meltdown in the first division. If they are to return among the best Italian teams, they need to start winning points and Virtus Entella looks like an accessible opponent. They recently promoted from Serie C and failed to replace most of their players, so it is very likely that they will be simply trying to avoid relegation at the end of the season.

Bologna vs Virtus Entella Betting Odds

At Bet365

Bologna 1.95, Draw 3.20, Virtus Entella 4.20

Bologna vs Virtus Entella Betting Tips

Bologna has a tradition of playing in the playoffs for promotion and this is going to be their top priority in 2014. Despite losing a string of games in the last two months and also suffering elimination from the Italian cup, most of the players have remained with the team. The offensive is more or less intact, but the hosts will need to employ an overly aggressive strategy to take advantage of this asset.

They managed to score one goal in three of the last four games but that was not enough as the opponents scored twice and the losing streak extended. Bologna is one of the few Italian teams playing in Serie B that has several strikers from outside the peninsula, with three of them expected to play tonight.

Manager Lopez will be using Rodriguez and Bentancourt, as his countrymen from Uruguay complement each other up front, but he will also rely on Acquafresca. The 26 year old failed to score a single goal last season, but at least he has loads of experience from playing in Serie A that could be put to good use tonight.

Virtus Entella is unlikely to continue its surge through the Italian divisions and even surviving for another season in Serie B seems unlikely. They lost two games in a row and failed to take advantage of home pitch, with Bari dominating the match from one end to the other while scoring twice. The hosts defended with all lines but eventually cracked under pressure, so tonight they will try to bolster their defenses.

Key Facts

• Virtus Entella will use veteran Sasovini upfront and will try to defend the scoreless draw.
• This is the first time ever that the two teams meet, with two divisions separating them until the season.

Bologna vs Virtus Entella Betting Prediction

Bookmakers are surprisingly generous tonight by giving almost even odds for Bologna to win, despite the fact that the hosts are not exactly in great form. There is a huge difference between the two teams in terms of side quality and experience, so as long as the odds stay at this value, it is definitely worth backing Bologna to win outright.

Bet: Bologna @ 1.95 with Bet365