Round 4 brings Napoli against Bologna to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on 13 September 2026. Napoli sit 12th with three points from three games, having opened with a win before losing the next two, whereas Bologna are worse off at 16th with a single point and no wins yet under Tedesco. Lose this one and both sides would be within two points of the relegation zone, with Napoli needing a response after defeats to Como and Inter and Bologna needing to prove that controlling possession can eventually produce goals.
Napoli's opening month has been uneven. Two narrow defeats since the opening win exposed them in transition, with the back four repeatedly caught short before cover could recover and their midfield has been circulating the ball without consistently threatening. Bologna's form has been similarly unconvincing, zero wins from three games and a persistent failure to score despite controlling long stretches of play. Under Tedesco they have been conceding late, unable to kill matches in the final twenty minutes and four points from the next three games could be the difference between tenth and the bottom four.
Scott McTominay is out following a heart procedure and Meret, Buongiorno and Anguissa are all sidelined through injury, forcing Allegri to reshuffle his defence and central midfield. Bologna are without El Azzouzi and Orsolini through injury, the latter loss removing their most reliable wide presence and leaving whoever replaces him on the right with little time to settle into the role.
Allegri and Tedesco have never faced each other competitively, so there is no prior record to lean on. What makes this one worth watching tactically is the tension between Allegri's 4-3-3, built around midfield control and winning the ball back quickly and Tedesco's 4-2-3-1, which builds patiently from the back and prioritises keeping possession over hunting it.
Allegri has set Napoli up to prioritise midfield control, with Lobotka anchoring the central trio while De Bruyne collects the ball between the lines, arriving from deep positions to play forward quickly. Højlund leads the line and Di Lorenzo holds a high line on the right, tucking narrow in defensive phases. The system depends on Lobotka winning second balls and immediately finding a forward runner but McTominay and Anguissa's absences reduce the physical presence that makes the press function and Bologna may look to play through that compressed midfield with balls in behind the back four.
Tedesco's 4-2-3-1 holds its shape without the ball, inviting pressure and waiting for gaps to open. Ferguson drops deep alongside a partner to screen the back four, allowing the attacking midfielders to make late runs into the area from second phase situations, while Odgaard drifts into the right channel looking to run in behind and Skorupski organises from deep. Without El Azzouzi and Orsolini, Bologna lose the one on one dribbling and the deliveries from deep that Orsolini provided from the right flank, so Tedesco will likely rely more heavily on central combinations through Odgaard and Ferguson and on organised set piece routines.
De Bruyne against Ferguson is where the tempo gets decided. If De Bruyne drops into the half space and receives between the lines, Napoli can move the ball from back to front in two or three passes, whereas if Ferguson tracks those movements and denies the space, Bologna can maintain their structure and circulate patiently in front of Napoli's midfield. Højlund against Bologna's centre backs also matters, since he can hold the ball with his back to goal and draw defenders before laying off, allowing Napoli's midfield runners to arrive late into the area.
Napoli lead the historical record with 62 wins from 155 meetings, though the recent run has been noticeably tighter, with Bologna picking up victories during the 2025-26 campaign. Without Buongiorno, Napoli lose their primary aerial presence at corners and Bologna's organised shape is built to exploit exactly that kind of mismatch. From the other side, Napoli's wide deliveries could target the flank Orsolini vacated, given that whoever fills his defensive role on the right will be less comfortable with the positioning demands.
Napoli 2-1 Bologna. De Bruyne's range of passing and Højlund's movement off the ball are both a level above what Bologna's central midfield can match and that should be enough at home even accounting for the significant absences in defence and midfield. Bologna will sit in a compact block and look to break through Odgaard but without Orsolini and El Azzouzi they lack the wide runners to stretch Napoli's depleted back line.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
