Bologna goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski prepares for a derby fixture against Sassuolo at home as Domenico Tedesco's side sits without a point after two Serie A 2026-27 matches, having conceded twice and failed to score. The Coppa Italia also looms: Palermo, who defeated Mantova 5-2 in their round-of-sixteen tie, now await Bologna in the next round.
The pressure on Skorupski is structural as much as personal. At 35, the Polish goalkeeper carries an AI overall of 73 out of 100 — a score that reflects a reliable, experienced operator rather than an elite shot-stopper — and his average rating of 6.10 across his two Serie A appearances this season places him in functional rather than commanding territory. Two goals conceded, a goalless attack behind him, and a coach still assembling his system: the conditions are not kind.
The derby against Sassuolo, managed by Alberto Aquilani, offers the clearest path to a reset. Emilian derbies carry their own weight regardless of table position, and for a goalkeeper whose role is partly to organize and anchor a defence under a new head coach, the fixture is as much a test of communication and structure as of shot-stopping. Tedesco's first weeks in charge have produced no clean sheets and no victories — two facts that are connected, and that Skorupski is positioned at the centre of.
The squad around him has also shifted. Jonathan Rowe departed to Atalanta in a deal finalized at the close of the transfer window, while Mbangula arrived as a replacement. Turnover in attacking positions rarely helps a goalkeeper's rhythm immediately; the defensive shape takes time to settle when the personnel ahead of it changes. Skorupski has seen this before in a long career, but familiarity with disruption does not make it easier to manage.
The Coppa Italia tie against Palermo adds a second front before the league schedule offers much relief. Palermo arrive in form, having put five past Mantova, with Joel Pohjanpalo among the scorers. Skorupski will need to be sharper than his early-season ratings suggest if Bologna are to advance.
The derby comes first. A clean sheet there would change the conversation entirely.