Santiago Castro starts for Bologna while Ange‑Yoan Bonny looks set to lead Inter’s line in place of Lautaro Martinez. With both sides reshaped by injuries, punters might still favour Inter to progress but should consider value on Both Teams To Score or backing Bonny/Castro as anytime scorers given their expected starting roles and altered attacking rhythms.
Supercoppa Italiana semifinal preview: Bologna vs Inter
When and where
Kick-off 20:00 CET (19:00 GMT) at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh. The winner meets Napoli in the final on Monday, December 22.
Team news and selection headaches
Bologna
Santiago Castro is set to lead the Rossoblu attack as centre-forward. Federico Bernardeschi is favoured on the right wing ahead of Riccardo Orsolini. Key absences for Bologna include Lukasz Skorupski, Remo Freuler and Nicolò Casale, forcing coach adjustments across the spine of the team.
Inter
Inter face a lengthy list of defenders and squad members unavailable: Francesco Acerbi, Matteo Darmian, Denzel Dumfries, Raffaele Di Gennaro and Tomas Palacios. Expect a back three of Stefan de Vrij, Alessandro Bastoni and Yann Bisseck with Josep Martinez starting in goal. Davide Frattesi looks set to start in central midfield in place of Nicolò Barella, while Ange‑Yoan Bonny is favoured to lead the line ahead of Lautaro Martinez.
Tactical outlook
With both sides missing regular starters, the game could hinge on how quickly replacements adapt. Bologna will look to exploit Castro’s mobility and the creativity of their wide players, while Inter must balance a reconfigured defence with a midfield-led transition approach. Games with many forced changes can open up space in transition, so expect periods of intensity and potential defensive lapses.
Probable line-ups
Bologna (4-2-3-1)
Ravaglia; Holm, Heggem, Lucumí, Miranda; Moro, Pobega; Bernardeschi, Odgaard, Cambiaghi; Castro
Inter (3-5-2)
Josep Martinez; Yann Bisseck, Stefan de Vrij, Alessandro Bastoni; Luis Henrique, Davide Frattesi, Piotr Zieliński, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Ange‑Yoan Bonny, Marcus Thuram
Bologna vs. Inter – where to watch on TV
The match will be televised on Premier Sports 2 in the UK and Ireland and on Paramount+ in the USA. Football Italia will provide a live commentary through a liveblog.
Betting angle
The reshuffled Inter attack without their regular No.9 suggests cautious backing for Inter at short odds. Markets to consider: Both Teams To Score, anytime scorer markets for Castro and Bonny, or handicap markets (Bologna +0.5) for value. Monitor starting confirmations closer to kick-off for final market moves.
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