Inter Milan will be aiming for their seventh consecutive league win as they host Bologna at San Siro on Wednesday evening. A victory would move the reigning Serie A champions to within a point of top spot, with their opponents, Bologna, looking to bounce back after a heartbreaking draw in their last match.
After suffering a setback in the Supercoppa Italiana final against city rivals AC Milan, where they blew a two-goal lead, Inter quickly got back on track with a 1-0 win over struggling Venezia on Sunday. Simone Inzaghi’s side shook off the disappointment of watching Milan lift the trophy they had claimed for the past three seasons and delivered another solid performance.
The victory extended Inter’s impressive streak of clean sheets, with their last away goal conceded dating back to September against Udinese. They’ve now won four consecutive Serie A matches without allowing a goal, a run they haven’t matched since 2021. With 13 unbeaten matches in the league, they’re just four points behind leaders Napoli, with two games in hand due to their Supercoppa involvement and a match against Fiorentina that was postponed.
While Inter’s defense has been impressive, they’re also the league’s top scorers, averaging over 2.5 goals per game. Coming into Wednesday’s clash, they’ve scored in each of their last 31 Serie A home games at San Siro, a record that will likely make Bologna wary as they prepare for the challenge.
In their three encounters last season, Inter earned four points in Serie A, while Bologna secured a dramatic extra-time victory in the Coppa Italia. Now, they return to San Siro for the first time since that cup triumph, hoping to continue a strong trend: they’ve scored in each of their last 13 league meetings in Milan.
Bologna started their 2025 campaign last weekend with a dramatic draw against Roma. They came from behind after conceding early in the second half, with Thijs Dallinga scoring his second goal of the season and Lewis Ferguson converting a penalty. However, a last-minute penalty, awarded after a handball by Jhon Lucumi, allowed Roma to snatch a point.
This season, Bologna have been prone to costly mistakes, conceding five goals in the dying minutes of matches – second only to Como in that regard. They’ve also dropped 15 points from winning positions, more than any team except bottom-side Venezia. Despite these setbacks, Bologna have shown resilience, sitting in seventh place and only losing twice on the road this season. With their recent strong form away from home, they may still have hope of pulling off another surprise result against Inter.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Simone Inzaghi opted for an unconventional midfield setup of Nicolo Barella, Kristjan Asllani, and Piotr Zielinski in Sunday's win, and they could well line up together again in midweek.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Hakan Calhanoglu, both regular starters, are doubtful for the match due to thigh injuries. Calhanoglu, in particular, has been a key figure against Bologna at San Siro, contributing to five goals in five league games. Meanwhile, Davide Frattesi is being heavily linked with a potential mid-season transfer.
Inzaghi will also welcome back French duo Benjamin Pavard and Marcus Thuram, who have recently recovered from injury, but there are still absences in the squad. Francesco Acerbi, Yann Bisseck, and Joaquin Correa remain sidelined.
For Bologna, they can call on Tommaso Pobega, who has served a one-match ban after his red card against Hellas Verona. However, Colombian defender Jhon Lucumi will be missing due to suspension for accumulated yellow cards.
Bologna’s long-term injury list is beginning to shorten, with Oussama El Azzouzi and Nicolo Cambiaghi both back in training. However, neither player is ready to return to action yet, along with Swiss midfielder Michel Aebischer.
Riccardo Orsolini will be hoping for a recall after being dropped last weekend. He has been involved in three goals in his last four league matches against Inter and will compete with other players to support either Thijs Dallinga or Santiago Castro in attack.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Asllani, Zielinski, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram
Bologna possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; Holm, Beukema, Casale, Miranda; Freuler, Pobega; Orsolini, Ferguson, Dominguez; Castro
EXPERT PREDICTION
Inter Milan 2-0 Bologna
In the last 13 Serie A meetings between Inter and Bologna, only one match has ended in a draw, with Inter securing eight wins and Bologna coming out on top four times.
That trend is likely to continue this week, as Inter look to maintain their momentum in the Scudetto race by securing another three points.
