Empoli vs. Bologna: Coppa Italia semi final 1st leg line-ups

BOLOGNA, ITALY – MARCH 16: Riccardo Orsolini of Bologna celebrates after scoring his team second goal during the Serie A match between Bologna and SS Lazio at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on March 16, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Bologna have their eye on a Coppa Italia Final spot with Riccardo Orsolini and Dan Ndoye, but Empoli already knocked out several giants.

It kicks off at the Stadio Castellani at 20.00 UK time (19.00 GMT).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the Liveblog.

The second leg of this semi-final will be on April 24, while tomorrow Inter and Milan face off.

Bologna are doing even better than last season under new coach Vincenzo Italiano, having participated in the Champions League and now sitting pretty in fourth place in Serie A.

They knocked Monza and Atalanta out on the way to this semi-final.

Santiago Castro is out injured, while Charalampos Lykogiannis and Lorenzo De Silvestri are not at 100 per cent.

There is practically no squad rotation, as Italiano picks his best available XI, including on-form Orsolini, Jens Odgaard, Ndoye and Thijjs Dallinga.

Empoli are in the relegation zone of Serie A and managed only four draws in the last 15 rounds, but it is a very different story in the Coppa Italia.

They beat Catanzaro and Torino before eliminating both Fiorentina and Juventus on penalties, in fixtures played away from home.

Liam Henderson is suspended in midfield and the injury list remains extensive, as it has been for months now, including Youssef Maleh, Ardian Ismajli, Nicolas Haas, Szymon Zurkowski and Pietro Pellegri.

Jacopo Fazzini was sent off at the weekend in the 1-1 draw with Como, so he starts in this competition, supporting Ola Solbakken and Lorenzo Colombo.

Empoli have not beaten Bologna since a 3-1 Serie A result in May 2023, managing two defeats and a pair of 1-1 draws, the most recent on January 25.

Empoli vs. Bologna official line-ups

Empoli: Seghetti; De Sciglio, Marianucci, Tosto; Gyasi, Kovalenko, Bacci, Cacace; Fazzini, Solbakken; Colombo

Bologna: Skorupski; Calabria, Beukema, Lucumì, Miranda; Freuler, Ferguson; Orsolini, Odgaard, Ndoye; Dallinga