Bologna vs Aston Villa – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Unai Emery and his Aston Villa squad return to continental action on Thursday as they visit the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara for a high-stakes quarter-final first leg.

The Villans arrive in Italy fresh from a lengthy break following their 2–0 victory over West Ham United. While the hunt for a Premier League top-four finish remains intense, the Europa League offers a realistic path to silverware.

Emery, a four-time winner of this competition, looks to guide Villa to their first major continental trophy since the 1980s. Historically, the Birmingham side has held the upper hand in this fixture, winning both previous European meetings against the Rossoblu.

Bologna enter their first major European quarter-final since 1999 with a point to prove against their English rivals. Vincenzo Italiano’s men showed incredible grit to eliminate Roma in a 5–4 thriller during the previous round.

Although they sit nine points adrift of the European spots in Serie A, their continental form has been historic. The Italian side is currently unbeaten in 11 European matches, with their only defeat in the last 15 coming against Villa.

Bologna vs Aston Villa – Match preview and team news

Team news

Aston Villa

Unai Emery expects to have Youri Tielemans available for a starting role after several weeks on the sidelines. Crucially, captain John McGinn is back to full fitness and looks to become the first Villan to score 10 European goals.

However, the visitors will be without Jadon Sancho, who suffered a shoulder injury during a recent friendly. Boubacar Kamara remains injured, while Ross Barkley is ineligible for the knockout stages.

Bologna

Vincenzo Italiano manages a squad thinned by recent injuries and a defensive suspension for Martin Vitik. Federico Ravaglia continues to deputise in goal with Lukasz Skorupski still unavailable.

On a positive note, Spanish left-back Juan Miranda returns after serving a UEFA ban. Notably, English winger Jonathan Rowe poses the primary threat, having contributed to five goals in his last six European appearances.

Form

Bologna

Bologna have proven incredibly difficult to beat on home soil, losing just once in their last 15 European outings. Their recent 2–1 victory over Cremonese has provided a timely boost to squad morale. Furthermore, they are looking to become the first Italian side since Fiorentina to reach a 12-game unbeaten streak in Europe.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa travel to Italy on a seven-match winning streak in the UEFA Europa League. Another victory would see them join an elite group of English clubs to win eight consecutive major European games. Additionally, Villa’s defence has been imperious against Italian opposition, keeping four consecutive clean sheets in recent years.

Predicted lineups

Bologna Predicted XI (4-3-3): Ravaglia; João Mário, Casale, Lucumi, Miranda; Ferguson, Freuler, Pobega; Bernardeschi, Castro, Rowe

Aston Villa Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Martínez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Buendía, Rogers; Watkins

How to watch Bologna vs Aston Villa?

The match will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports 2. Coverage is also available via the Discovery+ and HBO Max streaming platforms.

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