Bologna and Inter battle for a place in the final

The second EA SPORTS FC Supercup semifinal is scheduled at Al-Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh. Bologna, after winning the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa and ending a 51-year trophy drought, have set their sights on the Supercup as well, looking to write another chapter in their history and put the recent league defeat to Juventus behind them. The league, on the other hand, is smiling on the Nerazzurri, who, thanks to their win over Genoa, have climbed to the top of the standings on their own and now hope to lift the trophy as an early Christmas present for their fans.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The absolute precedents between Bologna and Inter are 182: 52 victories for the Rossoblù, 40 draws, 90 victories for the Nerazzurri.

DID YOU KNOW?

Bologna at their absolute debut in the Supercoppa: they will be the thirteenth different team to participate in the tournament. Inter boasts 13 participations in the Supercoppa, with 8 titles won, in the editions 1989/90, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24.

COACHES and PLAYERS

Lautaro Martinez, 4 goals, scoring in 4 consecutive editions, is the all-time best scorer of the tournament, alongside Dybala. Between Vincenzo Italiano and Cristian Chivu it is the second official meeting between coaches after Parma-Bologna 2-0 in Serie A, February 2025. Vincenzo Italiano is at his second participation in the Supercoppa, as a coach: he guided Fiorentina in 2023/24, eliminated in the semifinal by Napoli (0-3). Cristian Chivu boasts experience in the tournament as a player: 5 appearances from 2006 to 2011, all in Inter shirt with 2 Nerazzurri successes and 3 defeats. Lorenzo De Silvestri, if he takes the field against Inter, would become the third oldest player to play a Supercoppa match, at the age of 37 years, 7 months, 9 days. In second place Javier Zanetti (37 years, 11 months, 27 days) and in first place Gianluigi Buffon (39 years, 6 months, 16 days). Federico Bernardeschi is the player in Bologna’s current squad with the most Supercoppa appearances (4), all of them for Juventus. Ciro Immobile is the player in Bologna’s current squad with the most Supercoppa goals: 2 goals in 3 appearances, both scored for Lazio (a brace in August 2017 against Juventus, in the final Lazio won 3–2). No goalkeeper has kept more clean sheets than Yann Sommer (3) in the competition. Gianluigi Buffon, Angelo Peruzzi and Wojciech Szczęsny are next on 2. Stefan de Vrij is the active player with the most Supercoppa appearances (8). He is followed by Hakan Calhanoğlu with 7, and Lautaro Martinez, Federico Dimarco, Nicolo Barella and Matteo Darmian with 6. The Dutchman is just one appearance away from the all-time leaders Buffon and Stanković, who are tied on 9.

DISCIPLINE

Suspended: none Cautioned: Payero (Cremonese)

REFEREE

CHIFFI (ROSSI C. – FONTEMURATO) IV: DIONISI, VAR: MARESCA, AVAR: PEZZUTO

UPCOMING MATCHES

Bologna-Sassuolo (Sunday, December 28, 18.00 CET) Atalanta-Inter (Sunday, December 28, 20.45 CET) (Foto LaPresse + Getty Images)