Bologna has firmly positioned itself for a spot in the Coppa Italia final after defeating a young Empoli squad earlier this month, dominating the match at Stadio Carlo Castellani.

They broke the deadlock when leading scorer Riccardo Orsolini continued his outstanding season by scoring midway through the first half, then extended their lead as in-form winger Dan Ndoye set up Thijs Dallinga for two goals.

Dallinga missed an opportunity for a hat-trick, while substitute Nicolo Cambiaghi hit the post, as the dominant Rossoblu secured their sixth consecutive win.

After advancing past Monza and Atalanta BC to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1999, Bologna has a strong chance to crown years of progress with some silverware, though coach Vincenzo Italiano is also focused on qualifying for the Champions League.

Following their 3-0 victory at Castellani, Bologna began a challenging end to their Serie A season with a 1-1 draw against title contenders Napoli, followed by a 2-0 loss to top-four rivals Atalanta.

Last weekend, the Emilian team shocked reigning champions and league leaders Inter Milan at Stadio Dall'Ara, with star player Orsolini scoring a spectacular bicycle kick in second-half stoppage time.

That late goal propelled them back into Italy's top four with five rounds left, though Juventus has a game in hand, and both Roma clubs remain in the race.

To face either Inter or AC Milan at Stadio Olimpico in the cup final in May, they must finish the job against a struggling Empoli side at Dall'Ara.

While Bologna has won the Coppa Italia twice, most recently in 1974, Empoli is reaching the semi-finals for the first time ever this season.

After beating Catanzaro in the first round and Torino with a 90th-minute winner, Roberto D'Aversa's team celebrated two landmark victories to advance to the final four.

First, the Azzurri overcame Tuscan rivals Fiorentina in the Derby dell'Arno: after a 2-2 draw in Florence, they progressed via penalties, leading to a quarter-final against Juventus.

A lineup featuring several reserves and young players pulled off a major upset in Turin, drawing 1-1 and winning another penalty shootout, despite a 4-1 league loss there weeks earlier.

However, their cup success contrasts with a poor league form, as Empoli sits in the relegation zone after 17 games without a win in Serie A.

With survival as the priority, D'Aversa used a rotated lineup in the first leg and plans to do so again, as the relegation battle intensifies.

Tino Anjorin's late equalizer salvaged a 2-2 draw against fellow strugglers Venezia last week, but Empoli's last win dates back to December.

Currently in 19th place, they are one point behind 17th-placed Lecce, with Parma, Lecce, and Cagliari close above; thus, Sunday's match against Fiorentina is their main focus.

With an eye on Monday's game against Udinese and a mostly fit squad, Bologna's Vincenzo Italiano may make several changes from the Inter lineup.

The hosts will miss Lewis Ferguson, Davide Calabria, and first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski due to injuries, while centre-back Nicolo Casale is doubtful with a shoulder issue.

In Skorupski's absence, Federico Ravaglia is expected to start in goal; meanwhile, Santiago Castro and Thijs Dallinga compete for the striker position.

Empoli's absentees include Youssef Maleh, Christian Kouame, Szymon Zurkowski, Nicolas Haas, Saba Sazonov, and Pietro Pellegri.

Key defender Ardian Ismajli is also in doubt, but youngsters like Luca Marianucci and Lorenzo Tosto are likely to feature, as D'Aversa rotates his options.

The visitors have welcomed back Ola Solbakken and Tino Anjorin from injury, and Liam Henderson returns after missing the first leg due to suspension.

Bologna possible starting lineup:

Ravaglia; De Silvestri, Beukema, Lucumi, Lykogiannis; Moro, Pobega; Orsolini, Fabbian, Cambiaghi; Castro

Empoli possible starting lineup:

Seghetti; De Sciglio, Marianucci, Tosto; Gyasi, Henderson, Kovalenko, Pezzella; Solbakken, Fazzini; Colombo