pulisicacmilan.jpg
Imagn Images

While domestic league titles and European club competitions may garner most of the headlines, domestic cups carry significant importance for clubs as well. One such competition is the Coppa Italia, which will feature AC Milan and Bologna in the final on Wednesday, May 14. AC Milan dominated rivals Inter Milan 3-0 in the second leg of the semifinal to advance 4-1 on aggregate score, while Bologna knocked off Empoli 5-1 on aggregate score across the two semifinal legs. Both teams are still in the mix to claim one of the Europe spots from Serie A next season but this final will carry additional significance with the domestic league title out of reach. These teams met Friday, May 9 in Serie A action with AC Milan grabbing a 3-1 win over Bologna.

Youssouf Fofana is set to return to action for AC Milan after participating in training Saturday. Bologna is expected to bring Dan Ndoye, Emil Holm and Jens Odgaard back for this final. Ndoye has broken out this season with eight goals in 24 matches, while Odgaard has put six in the back of the net in Serie A play.

Kickoff from Stadio Olimpico in Rome is set for 3 p.m. ET on Paramount+ with AC Milan being designated as the home side. They are +155 at DraftKings on the money line in regular time while Bologna are +185 underdogs. A draw in regular time is priced at +225. 

Before locking in bets for AC Milan vs. Bologna, check out expert Jon Eimer's plays for the contest. Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, he has covered the English Premier League, Serie A, the FA Cup and much more. He finished 2023 as SportsLine's top soccer expert, going 248-234-12 (+25.93u).

Here is Jon Eimer's full analysis and best bets for AC Milan vs. Bologna:

AC Milan vs. Bologna best bets (posted Tuesday, May 13):

Both teams to score: Yes -115 (1u)
AC Milan to lift trophy: -130 (1u)
Both teams to score in first half: Yes +375 (0.5u)

A Chance for Silverware

The most important thing you need to know is any time you get to a cup final like this, both teams will put out their best starting XI. This might sound obvious, but so often we see clubs during cup matches rotate their squad. Both of these sides rotated their teams in previous rounds and now that we've reached the final, expect nothing but the best. AC Milan will have a red-hot Santiago Gimenez and Christian Pulisic ready to lead the charge, while Bologna will continue to rely on Santiago Castro and Riccardo Orsolini.

Two Matches in One Week

We can expect the best rosters for both sides but it is important to remember every season at this point, all teams are exhausted. Both of these sides are still competing for a European spot in league play, and are also playing an absurd amount of matches while they try to finish strong. These teams already had to already a match on May 9 in league play, are playing this game on the 14th and have another match on the 18th. This schedule is tough and defensive mistakes are extremely common at this point in the season. We just saw these sides play a Serie A match at San Siro, in which AC Milan found a 3-1 victory. I'm expecting a similar open match, with goals flowing from both ends of the pitch.