Preview: Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Bologna – prediction, team news, lineups & more related news here

Needing a minor miracle to finish in the top eight, Bologna will face Maccabi Tel Aviv when the Europa League knockout places are decided on Thursday.

After last week’s draw against Celtic, the Italian team is guaranteed a place in the playoffs; Meanwhile, their winless opponents have already been eliminated.

Match preview

Despite suffering a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in their opening league match, Bologna have booked a place in the knockout stage by remaining unbeaten for the next six.

With three wins and three draws along the way, Vincenzo Italiano’s Coppa Italia winners sit 15th in the Europa League table ahead of Thursday’s final, with the top 24 avoiding elimination.

The Rossoblu took their tally to 12 points by fighting back to a draw at home against Celtic last week, although perhaps they should have beaten 10 men after dominating most of the match.

Although their visitors were short-handed for almost an hour at the Stadio Dall’Ara, second-half goals from Jonathan Rowe and Thijs Dallinga were only enough to earn a point, essentially ending hopes of a top-eight finish.

Still, Bologna are set to advance to the Europa League playoffs, having recorded their best unbeaten run in Europe since 1971.

On the contrary, they have recently fallen Serie A standings winning just one of their last 10 league games, including Sunday’s calamitous defeat at Genoa.

Two goals up at half-time, Bologna exploded when fit goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski was recklessly sent off on his return from injury.

Conceding three goals after the break, and the last blow was struck during injury time, has left the Emiliano club in crisis and with its sights set on finishing in mid-table.

© Imago / Newspix

Meanwhile, Maccabi Tel Aviv is flying higher in the Israeli Premier League, where it sits in third place after 20 matches, but has also suffered several setbacks in recent weeks.

Between the 4-1 defeat against Maccabi Haifa and the 2-1 in Monday’s derby against Hapoel Tel Aviv, the yellows fell to Freiburg in their penultimate Europa League match.

Maccabi has only added one point so far, which leaves it in last place in the table of 36 teams and with no hope of reaching the playoffs.

It has been a disastrous campaign, with two goals scored and 19 conceded, both the worst of the league phase this season.

One of three clubs yet to win, along with Utrecht and Malmo, Zarko Lazetic’s team will have only pride left at stake when they take on Bologna on neutral turf in the Serbian town of Backa Topola.

Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa League form:

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Maccabi Tel Aviv form (all competitions):

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Bologna Europa League Form:

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Bologna form (all competitions):

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Team news

© Imago

With Bologna having other priorities, namely stopping their slide down the Serie A table, Italiano is ready to rotate his team.

Juan Miranda could return at left-back after serving a one-match national ban, while it remains to be seen if Skorupski or Federico Ravaglia get the nod in goal.

After Ciro Immobile led the line last weekend, the veteran striker will make way for either Dallinga, who has scored in all three of his Europa League starts this season, or Santiago Castro.

Defensive prop Jhon Lucumi is still sidelined with a hamstring injury, but Federico Bernardeschi and Martin Vitik were back on the bench against Genoa.

Meanwhile, Maccabi Tel Aviv will be without star striker Ion Nicolaescu, so 19-year-old Sayed Abu Farkhi will spearhead their attack.

National team regulars Roy Revivo, Dor Peretz and Sagiv Jehezkel should feature; Maccabi captain Peretz scored twice in Israel’s chaotic 5-4 loss to Italy earlier this season.

Although he has scored nine league goals, Peretz is yet to score in Europe, but after scoring against Hapoel Tel Aviv at the weekend, he will now hope to score in consecutive games for the first time since September.

Possible starting lineup for Maccabi Tel Aviv:

Maspati; Ben Hamo, Shlomo, Heitor, Revivo; Ben Harush, Lederman; Jehezkel, Peretz, Varela; Farchi

Bologna’s possible starting lineup:

Ravaglia; Holm, Vitik, Heggem, Miranda; Moro, Pobega; Orsolini, Odgaard, Cambiaghi; Dallinga

We say: Maccabi Tel Aviv 0-2 Bologna

Inflicting more misery on Maccabi Tel Aviv, a Bologna team in poor shape can win again on Thursday night.

Of the two teams on a losing streak, the Rossoblu are better equipped to score, but victory won’t be enough to finish in the top eight.

For a data analysis of the most likely outcomes, scores and more for this match, click here.