The rescheduled Serie A match between Bologna and AC Milan will take place under the Thursday evening lights finally to complete a fixture originally planned for April.
The team standings remain equal between them because they need each match victory to recover lost points from their previous defeat.
The disastrous European playoffs departure against Feyenoord that ended in européan disappointment forced Milan into enduring an additional setback when they lost to Torino 2-1 during the weekend.
Turin marked a disappointing end to two Chelsea goals scored by Malick Thiaw who joined Franco Baresi in history as the only Milanese players to double up on self-scores against one club in one season. Christian Pulisic missed a penalty during this defeat.
Multiple Vanja Milinkovic-Savic stops silenced Milan causing them to trudge through another unsatisfying contest after winning the Supercoppa Italiana championship.
Since taking over the team Sergio Conceicao achieved Supercoppa Italiana victory through his leadership however his squad now trails Juventus by eight points in their pursuit for Champions League qualification.
The team heads to Emilia-Romagna to execute their game in hand despite suffering four defeats in their last five matches in all competitions starting with Serie A matches and European competitions.
The Serie A second-city rivals lead 17 league meetings without a defeat and maintain an active club record of 13 tournament victories starting from that 2016 defeat against Bologna.
Furthermore, Bologna have not won any of their last 18 contests with Milan at Stadio Dall'Ara, a dismal run that dates all the way back to 2002. This historical struggle adds an extra layer of challenge as they prepare to face the Rossoneri once again on home soil. Like their visitors, who were originally scheduled to arrive in October before adverse weather conditions forced a last-minute postponement, Bologna are deeply entrenched in a multi-club battle to secure European qualification. The stakes are high, and every match carries significant weight in their pursuit of continental competition.
Bologna recently lost some ground in this race when they suffered a 2-0 defeat to local rivals Parma, a team currently struggling in Serie A. This loss brought an end to their undefeated streak in the league, marking a setback in their campaign. Despite this, Vincenzo Italiano's men remain in a relatively strong position, sitting eighth in the table. They had been one of only three unbeaten teams since the start of 2025, a testament to their resilience and consistency throughout the season.
After an unexpected top-five finish last term, Bologna are aiming to build on that success. However, this year, securing a Champions League spot may require a fourth-place finish, as recent Italian performances in European competitions have impacted the allocation of spots. With this in mind, Bologna are focused on overtaking Fiorentina and closing the gap to Lazio and Juventus, who are currently ahead in the race for European qualification.
A victory against Milan at the Dall'Ara would represent a significant step forward in their ambitions. Heading into Thursday's clash, Bologna can take confidence from their strong home form this season, having lost just one league game on their own turf. A win would not only break their long-standing winless streak against Milan but also bolster their chances of achieving their European dreams.
