AC Milan and Bologna will both be looking to end their long wait for the Coppa Italia title when they face off at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night, with this year's final set to take place on the same day. The two teams also faced off in Serie A last week, with AC Milan winning 3-1 at home, but now they will meet again in Rome for the trophy.

AC Milan travelled to Bologna in Serie A on Friday night ahead of the cup final, and with this comeback win the hosts closed the gap to the visitors in the top flight to two points. The Rossoneri were expected to lose at home after Riccardo Orsolini's latest superb goal of the season, but Santiago Jimenez's introduction in the second half turned the tide - the Mexican striker scored twice and Christian Pulisic netted his 11th league goal of the season. Finally, AC Milan have won four games in a row in all competitions for the first time this season – and indeed, for the entire year – and they seem determined to end this chaotic season with a spectacular victory. Thanks to a new tactical system, the Lombardy giants have begun to wake up from their slumber with five wins in six games.

Although Sergio Conceicao's victory in the Italian Super Cup in January set the tone for a series of subsequent fightbacks, they subsequently limped out of Europe and continued to struggle in Serie A, eventually falling out of the top six. However, they recently defeated their arch-rivals Inter Milan 4-1 over two legs in the Italian Cup to reach the final, making it five games unbeaten against the Nerazzurri this season.

AC Milan had previously advanced to the semi-finals with a stellar performance. Thanks to their European experience, AC Milan eliminated Roma with a strong 6-1 victory over Sassuolo in December, and Tammy Abraham scored twice against his parent club to advance to the last 16. Despite rumours that Conceicao will not stay on until next season, he could still change that narrative by succeeding in another cup competition, correctly pointing out that the last time the Rossoneri lifted two trophies in one season was in 2008. Having won the Super Cup against Inter, AC Milan will now aim to make up for a relatively poor Coppa Italia record for such a powerful club: AC Milan's only triumph in nearly half a century came 22 years ago.

Moreover, success in Rome represents their most realistic path back to Europe; therefore, the Rossoneri fans in Italy's second city will hope that their club can overcome a dismal domestic cup final record, which has seen just one win in the past six games. AC Milan, known for its close relationship with the European Cup and the Champions League, has won the Coppa Italia just five times to date - but history suggests that Bologna will bear a greater burden.

While Bologna's opponents last lifted the Coppa Italia in 2003, they have only won it twice before, the most recent of which came in 1974, when they beat Palermo on penalties. This season, they beat Monza and Atalanta to reach their first semi-final since 1999, before Vincenzo Italia's side eased past a struggling Empoli side over two legs, winning 5-1 on aggregate.

Bologna shunned opponents who had picked unfamiliar young and fringe players, choosing instead to focus on the ongoing relegation battle, winning 3-0 at the Stadio Castellani, with Orsolini's opener setting the stage for a brace from Theis Dallinga. They did the job well at home, heading into their 15th meeting with AC Milan in the Coppa Italia: in the all-time record, the Rossoneri hold a 6-4 lead so far. After 13 defeats and four draws against AC Milan in Serie A, Bologna finally broke their winless streak at the Stadio Dallara in February, but Friday's defeat at the San Siro put an end to their dream of playing in consecutive Champions League games. Just as the match was coming to an end, the Blaugrana were in a slump, and they have not won in three games since Orsolini's last-minute volley to beat Inter and Empoli four days later. Although they still have a chance to advance with two games left, the Emilia club is currently seventh in the table and has to rely on mistakes from other teams.

Thus, a decisive two weeks await them: after the encounter with AC Milan in Rome, they must face old rivals Fiorentina in the Apennine derby before hosting Genoa on another eventful final day.

AC Milan predicted starting lineup:

Maignan; Tomori, Gabia, Pavlovic; Jimenez, Fofana, Reynders, Hernandez; Leo Pulisic; Jovic

Bologna predicted starting lineup:

Skorupski; Calabria, Beukema, Lukumi, Miranda; Freuler, Ferguson; Orsolini, Odegaard, Dominguez; Daringa