Bologna enter the next stretch of the Serie A season with Riccardo Orsolini close to another place in the club’s history, but with the immediate priority being his physical condition rather than a record. The winger has reached 87 goals for the Rossoblù and is one strike away from matching Cesarino Cervellati, who sits tenth in Bologna’s all-time scoring list on 88.
Orsolini’s record chase must wait for the right moment
Orsolini is expected to begin on the bench after recovering from the injury to the flexor muscles in his left thigh, suffered against Atalanta on matchday two. The medical response has been encouraging, yet Bologna are unwilling to risk a setback only two days after his return from the treatment room.
The 28-year-old has become one of the defining figures of the modern Bologna side, a status reinforced by the contract extension that ties him to the club until 2031. His pursuit of Cervellati may resume in the coming match or after the international break, depending on how his recovery is managed.
- Orsolini has scored 87 goals for Bologna.
- Cervellati’s 88 goals place him tenth in the club’s historic rankings.
- Orsolini suffered his left-thigh injury against Atalanta in Serie A’s second round.
- He has only recently returned to full availability, making caution the preferred approach.
Palladino weighs a new shape
Raffaele Palladino has little time to settle Bologna after taking charge, and his early sessions have pointed towards a possible defensive reshaping. The coach has worked repeatedly on a back three across his first five training sessions since last Tuesday.
His initial selection could therefore feature a 3-4-3 or a 3-4-2-1, although he may yet decide that the long international pause is the more suitable moment for such a substantial adjustment. Palladino has already stressed that Bologna were built around a 4-2-3-1, while also possessing players capable of operating with three central defenders.
The likely attacking plan is still a three-man front. With Orsolini being protected, Federico Bernardeschi is in line to start on the right, while Nicolò Cambiaghi and Roberto Piccoli are expected to complete the attack.
Bernardeschi’s opportunity and Bologna’s wider picture
Bernardeschi’s inclusion carries significance beyond one afternoon. The former Italy international had appeared close to a national-team return, and while that opportunity has not arrived, his prospects have not been closed off. For Bologna, however, the need is more immediate: Palladino’s side cannot afford to lose further ground.
- Bernardeschi is set to be used on the right of the forward line.
- Cambiaghi and Piccoli are expected to join him in the initial attacking trio.
- Youngster Pessina, born in 2007, has received an international call-up.
- Cambiaghi has also been selected for international duty.
Elsewhere, Domenico Tedesco has emerged as a possible candidate for Borussia Mönchengladbach, with the German club in a difficult spell. Any move would depend first on Tedesco reaching an agreement to end his existing contractual relationship with Bologna.
