LONDON - Euro zone bond yields rose slightly on Thursday, after falling for two consecutive sessions, as markets waited for a European Central Bank decision later in the day.

Germany's 10-year bond yield, the benchmark for the euro zone bloc, rose 2.7 basis points (bps) to 2.203% after falling 10 bps over the previous two days.

The ECB is widely expected to lower interest rates by 25 basis points to 3.25% when it announces its decision at 1215 GMT (1415 CET). Traders will be listening out for hints about whether the market's expectation that rates will continue to fall at consecutive meetings is close to the mark.

Germany's two-year bond yield, which is sensitive to ECB rate expectations, rose 1.6 bps to 2.181%. It fell 9 bps across Tuesday and Wednesday.

Italy's 10-year yield was higher by 1.9 basis points​ at 3.424%, and the gap between Italian and German yields held steady at 121 bps, its lowest level since March.

(Reporting by Harry Robertson Editing by Bernadette Baum)