Unai Emery hails ‘fantastic’ result for Aston Villa in first leg against Bologna | OneFootball

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery felt his side had a “fantastic” result if not performance in their 3-1 first-leg Europa League quarter-final victory over Bologna.

Villa weathered a first-half storm from Bologna, who had a goal ruled out for offside through Santiago Castro before Lewis Ferguson struck the crossbar, but the English side stood firm and Ezri Konsa nodded the visitors in front before the break.

Ollie Watkins doubled Villa’s lead after the break, and Jonathan Rowe’s late strike looked to halve the deficit heading into next week’s second leg at Villa Park until Watkins’ stoppage time goal restored their two-goal advantage.

Emery was happy with the result but knows his side lived a charmed life in the first period particularly.

He told TNT Sports: “Happy but getting balance in everything we played the first leg it is a fantastic result. How we did in 90 minutes more or less I can feel good for something but not good for another way.

“In the first half we were a little bit shy. The result was better in the first half than the match we played, not brilliant. In the second half it was completely different. We started fantastic, started to dominate more and controlling the game like we planned in the first half but didn’t do.

“When we were feeling comfortable in the match they scored one goal but we reacted fantastic with the last corner and we scored.

“Still a fantastic result but still the second leg to play and I know they are dangerous because how they are competing is fantastic.

“The second leg they are going to try there to suppress us. Of course, my message in the dressing room is keep playing the second leg to plan, a new plan we will have but respecting them.”

Watkins took his season tally in all competitions to 12 goals which gives Villa a realistic chance of making a second European semi-final in their last three years.

Bologna had 19 shots throughout the contest and enjoyed more possession, and the striker says they “got lucky” in the first half.

He said: “It was massive. First half they put us under a lot of pressure and were dominating the game. We got lucky, at half time I said to the boys we got lucky and need to wake up.

“They had a disallowed goal and if that turned and stayed 1-0 it would have been a long way back because here they were playing tough today so we got lucky.

“Back end of the season we are raring to go, I could play another 90 minutes now. I’m excited for the last few games. Next week against these as well, I’m hungry.

“That goal at the end takes the sting out of the game and a 2-0 lead going back to Villa Park we are going to make it tough for them. We have to keep pushing, we are in a good spot.”