Bologna and Lazio begin their Serie A campaigns at the Dall'Ara in what looks a finely balanced contest between two sides with European ambitions. Bologna's new coach Domenico Tedesco will want a fast start from a 4-2-3-1 that features Lewis Ferguson behind Roberto Piccoli…
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Sign inBologna and Lazio launch their 2026-27 Serie A campaigns on Monday 24 August at 18:30 CEST, with the hosts returning to their Stadio Renato Dall’Ara home for an opening-round meeting that already carries significant subplots. Domenico Tedesco’s side are wrestling with defensive absentees, while Gennaro Gattuso’s rebuilt Lazio arrive looking to put a disappointing ninth‑place finish behind them.
Bologna’s biggest concern is at the back. Nicolò Casale sustained a left adductor problem on 7 August and the club announced roughly ten days of individual work. He will be assessed immediately before kick‑off but is far from certain to feature. Martin Vitik missed the friendly defeat at Brighton with muscle fatigue in his right thigh and has not yet rejoined full training.
With Casale and Vitik unavailable for that Brighton run‑out, Tedesco used a central‑defensive pairing of Torbjørn Heggem and Eivind Helland. That same duo is likely to start again, flanked by new signing Alfonso Pedraza… wait — Pedraza is a Lazio player. Bologna’s full‑backs against Brighton were Zortea and Miranda, and that unit should continue. In attack, Thijs Dallinga converted a penalty in the 4‑1 loss to Pisa, while Artem Dovbyk and Nicolò Cambiaghi are still bedding into the system after summer moves.
Lazio’s own fitness bulletin revolves around Gustav Isaksen, who underwent surgery for a bilateral sports hernia at the start of July and is racing to be available. The left‑back situation is in flux: Nuno Tavares is struggling with a muscle injury and has deleted all Lazio‑related social‑media posts amid interest from Porto, so free‑transfer arrival Alfonso Pedraza is expected to start. The club must also sell either Tavares or Luca Pellegrini before the window shuts. Gattuso’s selection will be shaped by a Coppa Italia tie against Mantova on 16 August, which will serve as the final dress rehearsal.
Two friendly defeats — 4‑1 against Pisa and 1‑0 at Brighton — have given Tedesco clear areas to address. Against Pisa, Bologna were repeatedly opened up after losing possession; at Brighton they created little despite a line‑up that included Orsolini, Bernardeschi and Dovbyk. The Italian‑sided coach admitted the need to improve “security after losing possession, efficiency in the final third and integrating the new strikers with players who were already familiar with the system.” Those are substantial boxes to tick on matchday one.
Lazio parted ways with Maurizio Sarri after an acrimonious end and turned to former Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso. Pre‑season results have been encouraging — four low‑key wins followed by a 2‑1 victory over newly promoted Frosinone, both goals coming from captain Mattia Zaccagni. Yet last season’s ninth‑place finish means no European football for a second straight year, and the Coppa Italia final defeat by Inter (2‑0) still stings. Gattuso wants an aggressive, direct style, and the early signs suggest Zaccagni will be the attacking fulcrum.
With Casale and Vitik doubts, Heggem and Helland — who have never started a Serie A match together — will have to contain a forward who scored twice in his last outing. Lazio also have pace on the flanks: if Isaksen is fit enough to feature, his duel with Bologna left‑back Miranda could be critical. The last time these sides met at the Dall’Ara, in March 2026, Lazio ran out 2‑0 winners, but Bologna had put five past the same opponents at home a year earlier. The recent head‑to‑head (five Bologna wins, five draws, eight Lazio victories) suggests neither side can be sure of a comfortable evening.
The opening weekend offers no margin for error. Bologna will want to avoid a third straight defeat and build some defensive confidence before a tough early‑season schedule, while Lazio see this as a chance to show they can challenge for the European places again. A positive result for either side would set a markedly different tone for the weeks ahead.
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