Bologna vs Sassuolo Prediction: Tedesco Seeks First Points as Aquilani's Side Battles Depth Crisis

Serie A Matchweek 3 brings Bologna against Sassuolo on 6 September 2026 at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, with Marco Di Bello refereeing. Bologna are bottom half and pointless after two defeats, which makes this more than a routine home game for Tedesco, who has yet to collect a single point since taking charge. Sassuolo arrive 11th with three points and a confidence boost from beating Torino last weekend, though their injury list has grown long enough to cause real concern.

Tedesco replaced Vincenzo Italiano on 2 June and Aquilani took charge on 12 June after Fabio Grosso left, so neither manager brings any shared history on the touchline and the two have never faced each other before.

Bologna lost 0-1 to Lazio on 24 August and 0-1 to Atalanta on 31 August and have yet to score in the league, which is a more pressing concern than two narrow defeats alone might suggest. Sassuolo's results have been more mixed: a 1-2 loss to Atalanta on 23 August followed by a 2-1 win over Torino on 29 August, though they have shipped a goal in both games.

Bologna are without Casale, El Azzouzi and Orsolini, which removes defensive cover across the spine and the right flank from what Tedesco can call on. Sassuolo's situation is considerably worse: Kone has a broken leg or ankle, Walukiewicz a muscle injury and Boloca a knee problem, while Fali Cande and Pieragnolo are both out with ACL issues and Paz adds a further knee problem to the list. With six players down and several of them central to how Aquilani wants to play, he may have to use players out of position in central midfield and has limited depth to rotate if the game goes beyond 60 minutes at pace.

Bologna are expected to set up in a 4-2-3-1 with Ferguson doing most of the midfield work and Piccoli leading the line, expected to win second balls and lay off to runners arriving late. With El Azzouzi also missing, Tedesco's wide players may tuck in to support Ferguson centrally rather than hug the touchline, which adds considerably to Ferguson's workload and Skorupski should expect to be tested on the counter.

Sassuolo tend to line up in a 4-3-3, with Lauriente as the primary carrier in wide areas who looks for the cut in. Matic is the most experienced of the three midfielders available, with the loss of Kone, Boloca and Walukiewicz leaving that midfield looking thin. Sustained pressure from Bologna could expose the gaps and Aquilani will probably ask Matic to sit in front of the back four to limit the space Ferguson can exploit between the lines, hoping Lauriente's pace on the break is enough to steal a point.

Central midfield is where this game is likely to be won or lost, which makes Ferguson the key figure in the afternoon. Orsolini is their main source of crosses and set piece delivery from the right, so his absence means Ferguson or Piccoli will need to get on the end of corners and free kicks instead. With Sassuolo carrying several defensive absences, those moments from dead balls could be decisive.

Bologna have the better of this fixture, with nine wins in 22 meetings against Sassuolo's six and they have not lost any of the last six between the sides, picking up three wins and three draws, with the most recent meeting in March 2026 ending 0-1 to the hosts. The unusual injury situation on both sides makes it harder than usual to draw conclusions from the record.

Bologna 2-1 Sassuolo. With Ferguson anchoring the midfield and Piccoli offering hold up play and aerial presence, Bologna have enough at home to win by a goal. Sassuolo will almost certainly get Lauriente into dangerous positions on the break and could score from a counter attack but losing six players across their defensive and midfield options makes it very hard to hold their defensive shape as fatigue sets in with no like for like cover in midfield. Bologna's unbeaten run of six against Sassuolo adds weight to the prediction without explaining it.