Match Preview: Dortmund Face Bologna in a Critical UCL Matchup

Believe it or not, I’ve actually been to Bologna.

Growing up in a house with a lot of Italian heritage, I had the privilege of a visit to the home country in my formative years. My parents found the funds for enough Alitalia flights from Dulles airport to Rome when I was about nine years old, and I had my first taste of European culture.

We found ourselves in Bologna waiting for a train, heading somewhere I certainly can’t remember, nor do I remember where we were coming from. What I do remember was wandering outside the train station to a small pizzeria in a piazza near the station. It was, simply put, the best pizza I’ve ever had.

That’s the thing about Italy, every piece of pizza is the best you’ve ever had. But it’s the ones you need that go a step beyond. I must have been hungry.

Why have I spent so long talking about Bologna and pizza? I do not want to talk about Borussia Dortmund or Nuri Sahin right now.

I hope you, reader, like me, can use this opportunity to think about pizza instead of the game.

Player to Watch: Ricardo Orsolini

Bologna’s right-midfielder has been in fine form for his side, notching seven goals and three assists in 17 performances. Orsolini is a cut-in winger, looking to collect the ball in the half-space between the midfield and the back line and use a turn of pace to drift across the box and find the opposite corner. Sound familiar?

Orsolini is also a capable finisher from distance and the dead-ball, something BVB have not faced often this season. The back line must be wary of how much space Orsolini is given to work in.

Predicted Lineup

It’s the last match to save your job, so you’re starting Can, right? You have to be starting Can.

I do not think Sahin is willing to play Can at the six any further, so expect Il Capitano to roll out in the center-back spot. Otherwise we should see something typical, with the exception of Ryerson filling in for Bensebaini, who is suspended.

Prediction

Okay, let’s get realistic for a few sentences here. Dortmund should beat Bologna. The Italians have taken a single point in this UCL campaign and sit seventh in the highly competitive Serie A. If Dortmund are tossed around in a UCL match by a side like Bologna, it’s time to start the inquest.