View from the opposition: Bologna

Michel Cavina, host of the official Bologna radio station Radio Nettuno, gives us the lowdown on the Rossoblu season and reveals which player Bologna fans fear the most ahead of this evening's match.

How would you assess Bologna's campaign thus far with seven matches remaining this season?

"Judging by the way we started – only six points in ten games leading to the sacking of Delio Rossi – it's shaping out to be a decent season so far. The new arrival in the dugout signalled a change in Bologna's fortunes: with Roberto Donadoni in charge the team has climbed from second-last to peak at ninth.

Ahead of the weekend's action, we were in 11th spot, level with three other teams, but that's only because things have slowed down somewhat in the last six matches, recording three draws and three defeats. Bologna's form has dipped of late but I hope they can finish the season on a high note so as not to sour the superb progress achieved under Donadoni."

How have the new signings fared this season?

"It's difficult to judge overall because 21 new players have come in across the two transfer windows, 19 of whom arrived between June and August. The biggest signing was definitely Mattia Destro, who joined from Roma with a big reputation but found it difficult performing under the mantle of the main man. Donadoni's arrival invigorated him as well and he's scored eight goals so far, although his foot injury in mid-March kept him out of action for a bit.

Aside from Destro, Amadou Diawara has been the surprise package. He was brought in from San Marino in Lega Pro with the intention of playing him in the Primavera side, but he made such a good impression in pre-season that he was drafted straight into the first team and hasn't been dislodged since. The Guinean has nailed down his spot in Donadoni's midfield."

Who has been Bologna's player of the season?

"Along with Diawara, whom I've already mentioned, I'll say Domenico Maietta. The defender had packed his bags and was on the verge of moving on in the summer as he didn't feature in Rossi's plans. He ended up staying but couldn't get into the former coach's side. Donadoni's arrival in the dugout was a revelation for Maietta, who gained the new boss's trust and got into the starting XI at centre-back, which did wonders for his performances. By way of rewarding his top displays, the fans have shown their appreciation and voted him player of the month twice in the last three months on the club's website."

What has been Bologna's best performance of the season and why?

"The 3-2 win against Napoli at the beginning of December, when they were top of the league and flying. Donadoni's men put in an almost faultless performance that afternoon, holding a 3-0 lead as late as the 88th minute. For me, that was the best game of Bologna's season taking into account the quality of their play, performance level and difficulty of the opposition."

What has been the worst display so far and what went wrong on that occasion?

"I'd say the most recent defeat at home to Hellas Verona on 4 April. Bottom of the league, Verona had failed to pick up a win on their travels before that point. Bologna came into that fixture on the back of three draws and two back-to-back losses so you expected a reaction against an opponent of that calibre. As it happened, the Rossoblu were disappointing in terms of performance and fitness levels."

Which area of the team has been the strongest so far and which has been the least effective?




"The defence is the best area of the team, including the goalkeeper Antonio Mirante who is having a superb season and has been worth at least five or six points with his saves. Bologna's backline is the seventh-best in the league in terms of goals conceded – only 36 – and let in their first from a corner just two weeks ago, further confirmation of the strength in Donadoni's defence.

On the contrary, the attack is underperforming the most and is ranked 14th in the league with 30 goals in 32 games. Bologna have only managed to get on the score sheet once in the last six games. As I said earlier, Destro has found it difficult to get into his stride, while Emanuele Giaccherini and Anthony Mounier have alternated between sharp and ineffectual."

What have you made of Roma under Luciano Spalletti?

"Right now Roma are probably the most in-form team in Serie A along with Juventus. The Giallorossi squad is up there with the best in the league and with Spalletti in charge they're coming up with the right answers. Had the coach from Tuscany been in charge from the beginning they probably would have had a better season, although it's true Rudi Garcia did a really good job during his period at the helm. I still believe Roma can overtake Napoli in the final sprint and earn direct qualification to the Champions League."

Which Roma player should Bologna fans be most wary of?

"Diego Perotti, especially if Bologna line up in a 4-4-1-1 formation. In that case, the Argentine could be really dangerous between the lines and cause a lot of damage to the Rossoblu. I think Bologna's defence are more suited to defending on the flanks in this system, rather than against a floating player like Perotti who could take up positions centrally and cause problems to Donadoni's side."

If you could pick one Roma player to add to the Bologna squad, who would you choose and why?

"I would take Miralem Pjanic to improve the technical ability of the current Rossoblu midfield, which is composed of great workers and runners but definitely lacks a technical edge. In Godfred Donsah, Amadou Diawara, Saphir Taider and Matteo Brighi, Bologna have plenty of players who put in unbelievable amounts of effort, but if they were accompanied by someone with Pjanic's talent it could improve the overall output of the midfield still further."

What's your score prediction for Monday?

"Roma are clearly favourites because of their squad and the positive run of form they're in. That said, I don't think Bologna will go to the Olimpico and lie down. I reckon it will be a even contest and perhaps more difficult than expected for the Giallorossi, but in the end I imagine they'll come out on top, there might be a couple of goals in it."