Bologna have lost just one of their last six matches against fellow Serie A side Roma in all competitions (W3 D2) but it was in the most recent league meeting in August this season, a 1-0 away defeat.
Roma have met fellow Italian opponents in three previous European ties: they lost over two legs to Internazionale in the 1991 UEFA Cup final (1-2 on aggregate) and Fiorentina in the 2014-15 UEFA Europa League last 16 (1-4 on aggregate) but knocked out Milan in the 2023-24 Europa League quarter-final (3-1 on aggregate).
Bologna are unbeaten in their last nine UEFA Europa League matches (W6 D3), their joint best unbeaten run in major European competition (also nine from October 1964 to March 1967). They are looking to win four in a row for the first time since winning five on the bounce in the 1998-99 UEFA Cup.
Roma have won the first leg in each of their last six major European last 16 ties, although they were eliminated last season after beating Athletic Club 2-1 in the first leg in the UEFA Europa League, losing 3-1 in the second leg.
Only Petar Stanic (22) has created more chances in the UEFA Europa League this season than Bologna’s Nikola Moro (21), while only Angelo Stiller (184) has completed more passes in the final third than Moro (142).