Spezia and Bologna are both coming off painful defeats, just as they were starting to find some confidence.
Despite that 5-2 hammering by Atalanta, Thiago Motta’s Spezia are still out of the bottom three and hope to remain there. Emmanuel Gyasi is suspended, so Antiste joins Daniele Verde and M’Bala Nzola upfront, while Nikolaou returns from his ban.
Bologna had won back-to-back games until the 1-0 home loss to Venezia. That could prompt a reshuffle on the right, where Riccardo Orsolini and Ibrahima Mbaye are in the running.
Form Guide: Spezia (L W L D L) Bologna (L W W L L)
Stat fact: Spezia are the fourth side in this Century to concede over 30 goals in the opening 13 Serie A rounds. The others were Parma in 2014-15, Benevento in 2017-18 and Torino in 2020-21.
Probable line-ups
Spezia (4-3-3): Provedel; Amian, Erlic, Nikolaou, Bastoni; Kovalenko, Sala, Maggiore; Verde, Nzola, Antiste
Suspended: Gyasi
Injured: Bourabia, Sena, Agudelo, Sher
On a yellow card: None
Bologna (3-4-2-1): Skorupski; Soumaoro, Medel, Theate; Orsolini, Dominguez, Svanberg, Hickey; Soriano, Barrow; Arnautovic
Suspended: None
Injured: Schouten, De Silvestri, Skov-Olsen, Kingsley
On a yellow card: Dominguez, Medel, Hickey