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Liverpool vs Bologna betting tips, BuildABet, best bets and preview
Football betting tips: Champions League
2pts Liverpool to win to nil at 20/21 (Betvictor)
BuildABet @ 14/1
- Liverpool to win to nil
- Mohamed Salah 2+ goals
- Ibrahima Konate 1+ shots
Liverpool’s win over Milan in the opening round of fixtures was impressive for a couple of reasons.
The first being that it came after the shock 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
Although it would have been some capitulation for their season to unravel from there, to go to the San Siro and win comfortably three days later delivered plaudits.
The next was the manner of the victory in Italy. The Reds went behind inside three minutes but were back in front by the 41st and with the goals coming via both centre-backs, set-pieces could be another string to their bow.
In the three games since, Arne Slot’s side have scored 10 goals and conceded twice from an xGA of 1.20.
They head into Wednesday’s game top of the Premier League, one point clear of Man City and Arsenal, having conceded three goals fewer than any side in the division.
It isn’t hard to see why they are heavily odds-on for the visit of Bologna.
What are the best bets?
Bologna rank 35th in Opta’s Power Rankings. Liverpool’s last opponents Milan are 22nd and last season's Serie A runners-up were outshot 23-8 at home to the Reds.
Going to Anfield is a completely different proposition and, considering how Milan fared on their own patch, it is difficult to see Bologna causing the hosts any trouble.
The Reds have only conceded twice in four games in Merseyside this term and are shipping an average xGA of 0.66 a game.
Bologna have averaged 1.2 xG per game in six matches against Atalanta, Monza, Como, Empoli, Napoli and Udinese.
The most telling is the trip to Napoli where they lost 3-0, only had eight shots, two on target and created next to nothing.
At a shade of odds-on, backing LIVERPOOL TO WIN TO NIL appeals.
Team news
Slot will be without Harvey Elliot in midweek due to a foot fracture. He may also be without Andy Robertson after the full-back was forced off at Wolves last time out. Konstantinos Tsimikas should slot into left back in his absence.
Darwin Nunez was unavailable at the weekend with illness but could return to lead the line here.
As for Bologna, Lewis Ferguson misses out with an ACL injury. Tommaso Pobega and Oussama El Azzouzi are also in the treatment room.
Despite his red card against Atalanta, Jhon Lucumi is available for this match.
Predicted line-ups
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Konate, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Nunez.
Bologna: Skorupski; Posch, Beukema, Lucumi, Lykogiannis; Aebischer, Moro, Freuler; Orsolini, Dallinga, Ndoye.
Match facts
- Liverpool and Bologna have never previously faced before, while Bologna will be the Reds’ ninth different Italian opponent in European competition, after Internazionale, Juventus, Roma, Genoa, Milan, Fiorentina, Napoli, Udinese, and Atalanta.
- Bologna have faced three English sides previously in all European competitions, most recently Fulham in the 2002 Intertoto Cup. Their last in a major European competition came against Leeds United in the 1966-67 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, losing via a coin toss after a 1-1 aggregate draw over two legs.
- In European competition, sides from no other nation have beaten Liverpool at Anfield more times than Italian clubs (7 – level with Spanish). The Reds have lost three of their last five at home to Italian sides (W2).
- Liverpool have won each of their last 10 group/league stage games at Anfield in major European competitions, scoring 2+ goals in their last nine in a row. Their last such defeat, though, was to an Italian side, losing 0-2 to Atalanta in November 2020.
- Despite attempting 17 shots, Bologna’s first UEFA Champions League game ended 0-0 on MD1 against Shakhtar Donetsk. Only two teams have drawn their first ever two games goalless – Galatasaray in 1993 and Villarreal in 2005.
- Liverpool had 11 shots on target in their 3-1 win at Milan on MD1, in their first UEFA Champions League match under manager Arne Slot. It’s the most shots on target a Premier League side has had in their first match under a new manager in the competition since Man City under Pep Guardiola in September 2016 (also 11).
- The only shot on target Bologna faced on MD1 against Shakhtar Donetsk was a penalty, which was saved by goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski. It was his first Champions League appearance in 9 years and 318 days in November 2014, the sixth-biggest gap between appearances by a goalkeeper in the competition.
- Mohamed Salah could become the first Liverpool player to score in five consecutive home games in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, with the Egyptian scoring in all four of his appearances at Anfield in his previous season in this competition (four goals in 2022-23).
- Bologna manager Vincenzo Italiano has only faced an English side once previously in European competitions, losing 2-1 with Fiorentina against West Ham United in the 2023 Conference League final.
- Ryan Gravenberch was the Liverpool player with the most possession recoveries (10) and interceptions (7) in their win at Milan on MD1. In fact, his seven interceptions were the most by a Liverpool midfielder in a UEFA Champions League game since Javier Mascherano in December 2009 (8 v Fiorentina).
Odds correct at 1100 BST (01/10/24)
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