Bologna will host Sampdoria in a mid-table clash on Sunday hoping to win their first Serie A match this month and edge themselves closer to the top 10.

Meanwhile, Sampdoria are looking to claim their first away victory at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara since November 2003.

Match preview

Bologna lost their 12th league match of the season when they were beaten 3-1 away at Napoli last weekend.

Roberto Soriano's eighth goal of the season gave the Felsinei hope of a late comeback, but Lorenzo Insigne scored his second goal of the game to restore the home side's two-goal cushion in the 76th minute, and Gennaro Gattuso's men held on for all three points.

Bologna remain in 12th place, eight points clear of the relegation zone, although 18th-placed Torino have two games in hand.

Sinisa Mihajlovic's side head into this weekend's clash having won each of their last four Serie A meetings against Sampdoria by an aggregate scoreline of 9-3.

In contrast to their away form, Bologna have picked up eight more points on home soil so far this campaign, and another victory against the Blucerchiati on Sunday would be their sixth at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, more than the five home wins they managed in the whole of last season.

Despite spending the last eight weeks in 10th place, a run of four matches without a win has seen the bottom half of the table slowly creep up on Sampdoria.

Claudio Ranieri's men came close to securing all three points at home to Cagliari last weekend, but a 96th-minute equaliser from Radja Nainggolan helped the visitors snatch a point against the Blucerchiati.

Sampdoria are 12 points clear of the bottom three and currently have no fears of any potential relegation battle, but Ranieri will hope that his side can turn their form around quickly in order to avoid looking over their shoulder.

The Blucerchiati lost their last encounter with Bologna in November, when the Felsinei came from behind to claim a 2-1 win at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium.

Sampdoria will be keen to avoid extending their winless run to five matches, and a victory on Sunday could move them 15 points clear of relegation strugglers Torino, who they face the following weekend.

Team News

Bologna midfielder Jerdy Schouten is back from suspension and is expected to start ahead of Nicolas Dominguez.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf), Paolo Farago (thigh) and Aaron Hickey (shoulder) are all closing in on a return but are not expected to feature on Sunday.

For Sampdoria, defender Omar Colley is suspended and could be replaced by Lorenzo Tonelli, while forward Ernesto Torregrossa remains unavailable as he is nursing a calf injury.

Experienced striker and top goalscorer Fabio Quagliarella is set to lead the line once again and could be partnered by Manolo Gabbiadini, who scored in the 2-2 draw with Cagliari last weekend and has scored more Serie A goals against Bologna than any other opponent (six).

Bologna possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; De Silvestri, Soumaoro, Danilo, Mbaye; Schouten, Svanberg; Orsolini, Soriano, Sansone; Barrow

Sampdoria possible starting lineup:
Audero; Bereszynski, Yoshida, Tonelli, Augello; Candreva, Thorsby, Ekdal, Jankto; Gabbiadini, Quagliarella

We say: Bologna 1-1 Sampdoria

Both sides will be keen to address their current form and get back to winning ways as they head into the final third of this campaign. However, with little to separate the two mid-table sides, a score draw could be on the cards at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.