Aston Villa vs Bologna Tips & Preview – Villa to extend dominant European run

Tolu Shotade

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Last updated: Tue 14 Apr 2026 11:17

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Aston Villa lead 3-1 in Europa League tie against Bologna.
Villa unbeaten in four, strong home record of five UEL wins.
Bologna faces uphill battle due to poor head-to-head record.

Aston Villa vs Bologna

Aston Villa already have one foot in the semi-finals as they welcome Bologna to Villa Park for the second leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final on Thursday.

The Villans are among the favourites to win the competition and hold a comfortable two-goal advantage from the first leg. However, they face a Bologna side that has been in strong form on their recent travels.

Aston Villa News

Aston Villa are unbeaten in their last four competitive matches, although they were held to a 1-1 draw away at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League last weekend.

The Villans secured a commanding 3-1 victory in the first leg in Italy, with Ollie Watkins scoring twice to give them a strong advantage heading into this return fixture. They have been excellent in the Europa League, currently on an eight-game winning streak in the competition. Their attacking consistency has been a key strength, with goals scored in nine of their last 10 matches. However, there are issues defensively, with just three clean sheets in that run.

Unai Emery’s side have been dominant in Europe, winning all five of their home matches this season. They have also scored at least twice in their last four European home fixtures, underlining their attacking threat. Confidence is also high, with Villa winning 15 of their last 17 major European home games.

Bologna News

Bologna face a difficult task heading to Villa Park after their first-leg defeat at home. However, they bounced back with a 2-0 win over Lecce in Serie A last weekend.

History is not on their side, as only one of the last 67 teams to lose a home first-leg Europa League knockout tie by two or more goals has progressed. The Rossoblu have also shown defensive vulnerability in the competition, conceding three goals in each of their last two UEL matches.

Interestingly, Bologna’s only defeats in their last 16 European games have come against Aston Villa, highlighting the challenge they face once again. Vincenzo Italiano’s side have struggled defensively in recent weeks, keeping just two clean sheets in their last six matches. However, they have remained a threat going forward, scoring in each of their last 10 away games.

Head to Head

Aston Villa have dominated this fixture, winning all three previous meetings against Bologna. They have scored more than once in two of those matches, including a 3-1 victory in the first leg in Italy.

Verdict

Aston Villa v Bologna

Aston Villa have been perfect at home in the UEL this season, winning all five of their matches. Their strong record against Bologna suggests another victory is likely for the hosts.

Villa have also scored at least twice in four of their last five home games in the competition, making Aston Villa over 1.5 goals a solid option. Bologna have also shown attacking consistency, scoring in their last 10 away matches. This suggests that Both Teams to Score is also worth considering.

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