England prospect Rowe boosts Bologna hopes ahead of 3rd Aston Villa clash | OneFootball

English prospect Jonathan Rowe has become an increasingly key figure for Bologna, particularly in the Europa League, as the Rossoblu prepare to face Aston Villa in the quarter-finals.

Bologna have knocked out their domestic rivals Roma from the Europa League Round of 16, securing a 5-4 aggregate win.

Rowe’s big start to 2026 at Bologna

English winger Rowe, 22, played a vital role across the two Europa League fixtures, providing two assists and scoring one goal.

Last night, he netted the opener in an eventual 4-3 away victory that sent Bologna to the quarter-finals.

Rowe joined Bologna from Marseille last summer and took a few months to settle in at the Stadio Dall’Ara.

The England U21 European champion only started four Serie A matches in the first half of the campaign, spending six of the opening 17 league games entirely on the bench.

However, it was only a matter of time before the Englishman showed his ability on the field.

The new year started with an assist in a home 2-1 loss against Fiorentina on January 18. A few days later, he scored his first goal for the Rossoblu in a 2-2 home draw against Celtic in the Europa League.

Since then, Rowe has started four Europa League games out of five and six of the last eight league matches

After a very quiet start to the season, Rowe has grabbed five goals and four assists across all competitions for Bologna, all in 2026.

The product of the AFC Wembley academy has been particularly efficient in the Europa League, with three goals and two assists in 10 games this term.

ROME, ITALY – MARCH 19: Jonathan Rowe of Bologna is challenged by Bryan Cristante of AS Roma during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Round of 16 Second Leg match between AS Roma and Bologna FC 1909 at Stadio Olimpico on March 19, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

Rowe’s performances have contributed to Bologna’s historic qualification for the Europa League quarter-finals, where they’ll meet Aston Villa.

These two sides have already met twice in the last two seasons, both times in Birmingham.

Aston Villa secured a 2-0 win in the Champions League group stage in October 2024, followed by a 1-0 victory in this season’s Europa League group stage in September 2025.