Predictions Champions League - Liverpool vs Bologna

Champions League - Liverpool vs Bologna
Match Time: 03-10-2024 02:00 Thursday (GMT+7)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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Liverpool fighting back to beat AC Milan in the Champions League is nothing new, although the Reds did not need to produce an Istanbul-esque turnaround to overcome their 2005 and 2007 final foes on September 17, where Christian Pulisic drew first blood early doors.

Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk both capitalised on set-piece failings from the Rossoneri defence to quickly turn the tide in their favour, before the thigh of Dominik Szoboszlai completed a stellar Liverpool success midway through the second half.

That triumph over Paulo Fonseca's men marked the beginning of a four-game winning sequence for Slot's well-oiled machine, who replicated their 5-1 EFL Cup crushing of West Ham United from last year either side of Premier League successes over Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Liverpool did not have it all their own way against the latter, but a Mohamed Salah spot kick ensured that the Reds would spend the weekend atop the Premier League standings thanks to Manchester City dropping points at Newcastle United, giving rise to an engrossing three-way title fight between Slot's side, the champions and Arsenal.

Leaving domestic matters behind for the time being, Liverpool have a magnificent continental streak to prolong on Wednesday; the Reds have won each of their last 10 European group stage/league phase matches at Anfield, netting at least twice in each of their last nine.

After Thiago Motta and co ended Bologna's 60-year exile from the top table of European football, the Rossoblu - whose last appearance in the European Cup came all the way back in the 1964-65 season - saw their burgeoning coach jump ship for an ailing Juventus.

Now under the wing of Vincenzo Italiano - who led Fiorentina to two Europa Conference League finals and one Coppa Italia final, albeit losing all of them - the Italian upstarts welcomed Shakhtar to a wet Dall'Ara two weeks ago and shook hands on a goalless draw with their Ukrainian counterparts.

Stalemates have been a theme for Wednesday's visitors since Italiano took over, as following the big-money exits of Joshua Zirkzee and Riccardo Calafiori to the Premier League, Bologna have unsurprisingly failed to replicate their extraordinary feats of 2023-24, only winning once in seven attempts thus far.

The Rossoblu could take immense pride from their last Serie A performance, though, as with 10 men for the most of the second half, they were moments away from edging out Europa League holders Atalanta BC, who were bailed out by a 90th-minute Lazar Samardzic equaliser in a 1-1 draw.

That two-goal affair marked a fourth stalemate from five for the solid yet unspectacular visitors, who reside in an unlucky 13th place in the Serie A table ahead of their first-ever competitive meeting with the six-time European champions.

Prediction:  Liverpool 3-0 Bologna