Bologna vs AS Roma: Serie A Showdown in April 2026

Stadio Renato Dall’Ara hosts one of the standout fixtures of the Serie A run-in as Bologna welcome AS Roma in late April 2026. With Roma sitting 6th on 58 points and Bologna 8th on 48, this is a direct clash in the European race. The stakes are clear: Roma are currently in the slot marked for Conference League qualification, but a slip here would drag them back towards a tightly packed chasing group, while Bologna know that a home win would keep their own continental ambitions alive heading into the final weeks.

Both sides also arrive with fresh scars and memories from Europe. They met twice in the UEFA Europa League 1/8 final in March 2026, Bologna stunning Roma over two legs to reach the 1/4 final. That recent knockout duel adds an edge that goes far beyond a typical league meeting.

Form and tactical landscape

Across all phases this Serie A season, Bologna’s campaign has been built on balance more than brilliance. They have 14 wins, 6 draws and 13 defeats from 33 league matches, scoring 42 and conceding 39. At home, however, they have been inconsistent: 6 wins, 2 draws and 8 defeats at Dall’Ara, with a modest 16 goals scored and 18 conceded. The averages (1.0 scored and 1.1 conceded per home game) underline a side that often plays on fine margins.

Roma, by contrast, have been more decisive. In the league they have 18 wins, 4 draws and 11 losses from 33 matches, with a strong goal difference of +17 (46 for, 29 against). Their away record is solid but not spectacular: 7 wins, 1 draw and 8 defeats, 19 scored and 19 conceded. They are more prolific at home, yet still carry enough threat on their travels to punish any lapse.

Bologna’s season-long form string – a streaky sequence with short winning runs punctuated by clusters of defeats – reflects a team that can reach a high ceiling but struggles for sustained control. Their most common setup has been 4-2-3-1 (26 league uses), occasionally shifting to 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1. That suggests a structure built around a double pivot, with wide forwards and an attacking midfielder supporting the central striker. The numbers support that picture: 10 clean sheets across all phases, but also 9 matches without scoring, underline how dependent they are on their attacking core finding rhythm.

Roma, meanwhile, are firmly wedded to a back-three system. Their primary formation has been 3-4-2-1 (25 matches), with variants like 3-4-1-2 and 3-5-2 used to tweak the attacking structure. They average 1.4 goals scored and just 0.9 conceded per league game across all phases, a classic profile of a side comfortable in controlled, medium-scoring contests. Their defensive record is particularly impressive at home, but even away they keep things tight enough to give their forwards a platform.

Late-game dynamics could be decisive. Roma’s goal-minute distribution shows a pronounced spike between minutes 61-75, where they have scored 13 of their 46 league goals (28.26%). They also concede heavily late, with 9 of their 29 goals against (31.03%) coming in the 76-90 range. That pattern points to matches that open up dramatically in the final half-hour – a warning for Bologna that concentration must be maintained to the end, but also an opportunity if they can drag Roma into a high-intensity finale.

Key players and attacking threats

Roma’s headline figure is Donyell Malen. In the league he has 10 goals in just 13 appearances (all as a starter), averaging roughly a goal every 106 minutes. With 36 shots (21 on target) and a rating of 7.15, he is the sharp point of Roma’s attack. His penalty record this season is flawless – 2 scored from 2 – adding a clinical edge if the match is decided from the spot. Malen’s profile as a mobile attacker suits Roma’s 3-4-2-1: he can run channels, attack space behind Bologna’s back line and combine with the two attacking midfielders.

For Bologna, Riccardo Orsolini remains the creative heartbeat. With 8 league goals and 1 assist from 31 appearances, he is both scorer and chance creator, registering 23 key passes and 59 shots (28 on target). His dribbling volume (62 attempts, 30 successful) and 39 fouls drawn show how often he carries the ball into dangerous zones and forces defenders into mistakes. However, his penalty record this season is mixed: 3 scored but 2 missed, so while he is an important set-piece taker, it would be inaccurate to call him ruthless from the spot.

Alongside Orsolini, Santiago Thomas Castro offers a more traditional striker’s profile. With 7 goals and 2 assists from 30 appearances, he is heavily involved in duels (260 total, 110 won) and draws plenty of fouls (43). Castro has also won 2 penalties this season, underlining his ability to unsettle centre-backs with his movement and physicality. Interestingly, he has not taken those penalties himself (0 scored, 0 missed), which keeps the spotlight on Orsolini or another designated taker if Bologna win a spot-kick.

Bologna’s biggest wins (4-0 at home, 0-3 away) show what happens when their attacking trident clicks, but their 9 matches without scoring highlight the risk if Roma can isolate Orsolini and starve Castro of service.

Head-to-head: recent competitive history

The last five competitive meetings – all in Serie A or the Europa League – show a remarkably tight rivalry:

• In March 2026, in the Europa League 1/8 final, Bologna eliminated Roma. The first leg in Bologna ended 1-1, and the return at Stadio Olimpico finished 3-3 after 90 minutes before Bologna won 4-3 after extra time.
• In Serie A in August 2025, Roma edged a 1-0 home win.
• In January 2025, the sides drew 2-2 at Dall’Ara.
• In November 2024, Bologna claimed a 3-2 victory away in Rome.

Across these five competitive fixtures:

• Bologna wins: 2 (the 3-2 away league win in 2024 and the 4-3 AET Europa League triumph in 2026).
• Roma wins: 1 (1-0 in the league in August 2025).
• Draws: 2 (2-2 in Bologna in January 2025, 1-1 in Bologna in the Europa League first leg in March 2026).

Bologna have also shown they can win at the Olimpico and handle high-scoring, chaotic games, while Roma’s sole recent victory came in a tight, controlled 1-0 league match. That contrast mirrors their broader identities: Roma are at their best in structured contests; Bologna thrive when the game becomes more open.

Discipline, margins and set-pieces

Both teams have strong penalty records at team level this season: Bologna 4/4, Roma 4/4. That raises the importance of discipline. Bologna’s yellow card distribution spikes between 61-90 minutes, while Roma accumulate a significant number of cautions in the final half-hour too. With both sides prone to late bookings, a clumsy challenge could easily swing the match.

Roma’s 14 clean sheets across all phases underline their defensive organisation, especially in the 3-4-2-1. Bologna’s 10 clean sheets show they can shut opponents down, but their home defensive record (18 conceded in 16) is more ordinary. Roma’s away goals-for and goals-against both stand at 19, pointing to away games that are often decided by fine details rather than big scorelines.

The verdict

On league form and table position, Roma should be slight favourites. They have the better overall record, the tighter defence, and a high-impact scorer in Malen. Their away numbers are respectable, and their late-goal profile suggests they will keep asking questions until the final whistle.

Yet the recent Europa League 1/8 final tilt the psychological balance. Bologna not only matched Roma over 210 minutes; they knocked them out in Rome after extra time. Add in Bologna’s 3-2 league win at the Olimpico in 2024 and the 2-2 draw at Dall’Ara in early 2025, and the hosts have real evidence that they can hurt this Roma side.

Expect a tactically cagey first half, with Roma’s back three trying to smother Orsolini between the lines and track Castro’s movement, while Bologna’s double pivot focuses on screening Malen’s runs and limiting transitions. As fatigue sets in, the game should open up, especially between minutes 60-90 where Roma both score and concede heavily.

Given Roma’s superior defensive metrics and Bologna’s mixed home record, a narrow away edge is logical. But the weight of recent head-to-heads and Bologna’s capacity to turn big nights at Dall’Ara into emotional, high-tempo occasions point towards another finely balanced contest.

A draw with both teams scoring feels the most realistic baseline outcome, with Roma marginally more likely to edge it if Malen finds space in transition – and Bologna always a threat to flip the script if Orsolini and Castro can drag the game into the kind of open battle that has recently favoured them.