Inter Milan face Bologna in semi final of the Supercoppa Italiana on Friday night.
Cristian Chivu’s men will be motivated by their current form as they sit on top of the table in Serie A. Bologna will forget their recent setback in Serie A and will try to continue their good form against Inter Milan, who they have only lost once to in their last six meetings.
Bologna vs Inter Milan – Match preview and team news
- Date: Friday, 19th December.
- Kick-off: 7pm BST.
- Venue: Al-Awwal Park, Riyadh.
Bologna team news
Bologna will travel to Saudi Arabia without several key personnel as they aim to upset the odds against Serie A leaders Inter Milan. The Rossoblu have been hit hard by injuries ahead of this crucial encounter. First-choice goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski is ruled out, forcing Vincenzo Italiano to rely on backup Federico Ravaglia between the sticks.
Midfielder Remo Freuler remains unavailable through injury, while the defensive contingent faces considerable challenges. Martin Vitík and Nicolò Casale are sidelined, and Jhon Lucumí continues to struggle with a persistent tendon problem.
Santiago Castro is expected to lead Bologna’s attack after Thijs Dallinga failed to make an impact against Juventus. The Argentine striker has netted five goals in the 2025-26 season and will be supported by the influential Riccardo Orsolini, who has recorded eight goals and one assist this campaign.
Inter Milan team news
Inter Milan will be without several regulars as Cristian Chivu navigates an injury crisis in his squad ahead of the Supercoppa semifinal appearance as head coach. Veteran defender Francesco Acerbi remains sidelined with a thigh injury, while wing-back Denzel Dumfries has undergone ankle surgery and is expected to miss action until March.
Hakan Calhanoglu, Inter’s Turkish midfielder, sustained a muscle injury during the 1-0 Champions League defeat to Liverpool last week and is unlikely to start, though he has made the trip to Saudi Arabia. Matteo Darmian, who can return after nearly three months out, has been included in the squad as well.
Lautaro Martinez will lead Inter’s attack, with the Argentine captain having scored 12 goals already this season and demonstrating impressive form. Martinez is Inter’s all-time top scorer in Supercoppa history, underlining his importance to Chivu’s side.
Chivu has included three Primavera prospects—including wingback Matteo Cocchi, 21-year-old defender Simone Cinquegrano, and backup goalkeeper Alain Taho—to supplement the squad.
Form
Bologna
The Rossoblu currently occupy sixth place in Serie A with 25 points from 15 matches. Notably, they are competing well across multiple fronts—winning the Coppa Italia last season—and have already progressed to the Europa League knockout stages. Their most recent result was a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Juventus, with Juan Cabal scoring the decisive goal in the 64th minute.
Inter Milan
Inter Milan enter this fixture after securing the top spot this week in Serie A as they defeated Genoa away from home (1-2). They are currently first in the table with 33 points from 15 matches with 1wins. Inter Milan, along with AS Roma, are the only team in Serie A to not record a draw this season in the league.
Predicted lineups
Bologna: Ravaglia; Holm, Lucumi, Heggem, Miranda; Moro, Ferguson; Orsolini, Odgaard, Cambiaghi; Castro
Inter Milan: J. Martinez; Akanji, Bisseck, Bastoni; Henrique, Barella, Zielinski, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
How to watch Bologna vs Inter Milan?
UK viewers can watch the Bologna vs Inter Milan Supercoppa Italiana semi-final live on Premier Sports 2.
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