Bologna vs Lazio Best Combined XI: Zaccagni & Orsolini on the Wings | OneFootball

For the third time this season, Bologna and Lazio will cross paths, this time in a Serie A contest at the Renato Dall’Ara.

The two sides shared the spoils in the reverse fixture at the Stadio Olimpico, with Jens Odgaard cancelling out Gustav Isaksen’s opener. Their meeting in the Coppa Italia quarter-final last month also ended in a 1-1 draw, but the Biancocelesti emerged victorious on spot-kicks.

Bologna and Lazio have been evenly matched this season, and even the Serie A table tells us as much, with Vincenzo Italiano’s men only two points ahead of the Italian capital side. Therefore, picking the combined best XI between the two squads was an expectedly difficult task, as not much separates the two sets of players.

Bologna & Lazio Combined XI (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Ivan Provedel (Lazio)

While Lukasz Skorupski and Federico Ravaglia have been sharing the goalkeeping duties at Bologna, Ivan Provedel has cemented himself as Maurizio Sarri’s undisputed first choice with his convincing displays, before a shoulder injury ended his season prematurely.

Right-Back: Nadir Zortea (Bologna)

Although he’s now facing competition from Juventus loanee Joao Mario, who joined in January, Nadir Zortea remains our top choice. The 26-year-old Italian is one of the most underrated full-backs in Serie A.

Right Centre-Back: Mario Gila (Lazio)

This was perhaps the easiest choice on the list, especially with the way the Spaniard has been performing in recent weeks.

Left Centre-Back: Alessio Romagnoli (Lazio)

While Jhon Lucumi would have been a solid pick, Alessio Romagnoli arguably has a slight edge over the 27-year-old Colombian. Lazio’s superior defensive stats also vouch in favor of the Italian defender.

Left-Back: Juan Miranda (Bologna)

Between Juan Miranda and Nuno Tavares, it was almost a flip of the coin, but the Barcelona youth product has been more consistent and defensively reliable throughout the season.

Regista: Nicolo Rovella (Lazio)

Nicolo Rovella’s sensational displays from last season may have become a distant memory due to this injury-wrecked campaign. Nevertheless, a fit Rovella would arguably outclass Nikola Moro, even if the latter deserves more recognition than what he gets.

Box-to-Box Midfielder: Kenneth Taylor (Lazio)

With Lewis Ferguson yet to regain his post-ACL injury form, Remo Freuler starting to get over the hill, and Tommaso Pobega not showing enough consistency, Kenneth Taylor gets the nod following a remarkable start to his Italian experience.

Right Winger: Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna)

Gustav Isaksen has been one of Lazio’s difference makers in recent months, but Riccardo Orsolini is one of the finest right wingers in Serie A.

Attacking Midfielder: Jens Odgaard (Bologna)

When it comes to attacking midfielders in Italy’s top flight, Odgaard is criminally underrated. The 26-year-old is both hard-working and decisive. One of his seven goals this season came at Lazio’s expense.

Left Winger: Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio)

Based on pure form, Jonathan Rowe should have been selected. However, it remains to be seen if the young Englishman can deliver the goods on a consistent basis. In the meantime, Mattia Zaccagni remain ahead, albeit by a small margin.

Striker: Santiago Castro (Bologna)

With Isaksen leading the club’s scoring charts with four goals, Lazio were unlikely to contribute with a striker to the list. Therefore, Santiago Castro was almost uncontested in this role. The 21-year-old Argentine has already netted 11 times this season, as he continues to grow from strength to strength.