Aston Villa

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Standing tall at Bologna's home ground is La Torre di Maratona - the Tower of Marathon - which was built to symbolise the resilience of athletes.

And Aston Villa were forced to embody that spirit as they produced a performance full of grit, discipline and resolve to gain the advantage.

It had been 18 days since Villa last played competitive football, a 2-0 win against West Ham on 22 March before the Premier League took a break for international football.

And it showed as Emiliano Martinez had to save his side's blushes by denying an acrobatic effort from left-back Juan Miranda before Santiago Castro and Scotland attacking midfielder Lewis Ferguson also went close for the Italians.

But appearing in their third European quarter-final in as many seasons, Unai Emery's men overcame a lethargic start to stamp their authority on the tie as a clinical display helped them go 2-0 up.

Coppa Italia holders Bologna threatened to mount a comeback with Federico Bernardeschi brushing the outside of the post in the 78th minute before Jonathan Rowe claimed a deserved goal.

But Ollie Watkins struck a devastating blow on the Italians late on, meaning Vincenzo Italiano's side will feel hard done by after generating 19 shots - compared to Villa's eight - and striking the woodwork twice.

It was Villa's eighth consecutive victory in the competition under four-time Europa League winner Emery and moves them another step closer to ending a 30-year trophy drought, which would also mean a return to the Champions League next season.

They will now feel confident of finishing the job in the return leg in Birmingham, where they have defeated the Rossoblu twice already over the past 18 months - a 2-0 in last season's Champions League and then 1-0 earlier this campaign.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery speaking to TNT Sports: "Happy yes, but we are trying to get balance in everything. We played the first leg here and won, and it is a fantastic result. How we did the 90 minutes, I can feel more or less good for some things and not too good for the others. A good result, but we still have the second leg to play.

"First half we were a bit shy. We needed to try to do more passes, to get better positions in the attacking third but we were losing the ball easily. We were not conceding a lot but with a few moments we conceded.

"Set-pieces are always important but today it was our priority defensively and offensively because we knew before the match that it would be one way to try to get something. In the first half we scored one goal, other chances as well.

"The result was much better than the match we played in the first half, but in the second half it was completely different. We dominated them and controlled the game like we planned to in the first half but we didn't do, and we were feeling comfortable. We reacted well offensively when they scored.

"In the second leg they are going to try to suppress us and my message inside the dressing room is to keep playing the second leg with the same plan, well with the new plan we will have, but keep respecting them."

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins speaking to TNT Sports: "It could've been different. They had a disallowed goal and if that turns and it was 1-0 and stayed that way, it would've been a long way back for us. We got lucky. They played tough today.

"We got the goal from the set-piece and that kind of took the sting out of the game. They were dominant before that, but just before half-time is a great time to score. We got the second after half-time and then we felt we always were going to score more.

"Back end of the season, I'm raring to go. I could play another 90 minutes. I'm excited for the next few games. I'm hungry.

"Their winger was causing problems tonight. Great finish for his goal and at 2-1 it's all to play for. That other goal, taking a 2-0 lead back to Villa Park, makes it tough for them.

"We have to play like that very game. Like against West Ham [before the international break], we played well. We have to keep pushing, everyone around us is winning. We're in a great spot at the end of the season, and it's all to play for."

Did you know?

• Aston Villa have won 24 of their last 35 games in major European competition (D3 L8), with only Real Madrid (26) and Bayern München (25) winning more major European games than the Villans' 24 since the start of the 2023-24 campaign.

• Aston Villa have scored in their last 11 games in the Europa League, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition (since at least 2007/2008).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

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Bologna boss Vincenzo Italiano makes three changes to his side that defeated Cremonese 2-1 on Sunday.

Torbjorn Heggem, Tommaso Pobega and Scotland midfielder Lewis Ferguson come in, while English winger Jonathan Rowe also starts for the Serie A side.

Bologna XI: Ravaglia, Joao Mario, Heggem, Lucumi, Miranda, Freuler, Ferguson, Pobega, Bernardeschi, Castro, Rowe

Substitutes: Moro, Orsolini, Casale, Zortea, Odgaard, Sohm, Pessina, Cambiaghi, Castaldo, Franceschelli

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery makes two changes to his side that defeated West Ham United 2-0 in their last outing on 22 March - 18 days ago.

Youri Tielemans makes his first start since a 2-0 win against Newcastle on 25 January in Ross Barkley's place, while Emi Buendia replaces Jadon Sancho.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Tielemans, Onana, McGinn, Rogers, Buendia, Watkins

Substitutes: Bizot, Wright, Lindelof, Mings, Elliott, Garcia, Abraham, Luiz, Maatsen, Bailey, Bogarde

There are three Europa League and Conference League fixtures involving Premier League clubs on Thursday night - and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Europa League: Bologna v Aston Villa - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Europa League: Porto v Nottingham Forest

• Conference League: Crystal Palace v Fiorentina

All kick-off times 20:00 BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentary on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Bologna v Aston Villa".

The Premier League's return this weekend brings trepidation for some and excitement for others.

Football's emotional rollercoaster becomes intense at this time of year, unless of course mid-table mediocrity has taken a grip of things in recent months.

So how are you feeling as an Aston Villa fan with just a handful of weeks left to go?

The league form reads: WDLLLW

The next three league fixtures are: Nottingham Forest (a), Sunderland (h), Fulham (a)

Let us know how you're feeling here

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Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

When is a break not a break? Many of Aston Villa's players have been busy since we last saw them together, some in emotional fixtures for their countries. But perhaps a change of scenery, even with its own stresses, is nearly as good as a rest.

"I try to, when I'm there, switch off from Villa, and when I'm here switch off from Poland," said Matty Cash here last night.

He now knows, alas, that he has no big tournament in the summer to conserve himself for. Not that he is the type to do that anyway; top sports people are good at compartmentalising things. His major opportunities for 2026 now fall in the next six weeks.

The seven months of the season to this point, with all their joys and dramas, can now be viewed as essentially a process to get Villa to the starting grid, and positioned on the front row.

Arsenal apart, few Premier League sides are as well-placed at this point to hit all their realistic targets for 2025-26.

Villa will have succeeded for the short-term if they win a trophy, and hit a long-term objective if they qualify for next season's Champions League.

Some 44 games into the season and with a maximum of 12 to go, they remain on target for both.

It is not necessary to spend a lot of time observing Unai Emery to spot that this is his happy place: not Bologna specifically, but in European competitions, particularly on the road.

At the press conference last night he was at his most engaged and expressive, eyes gleaming, hands moving, light-hearted but still forensic.

His players must get countless hours of this, the output of one of the game's busiest minds. No wonder those who are as committed as he is get so much from his management and become better players, especially those who have come from relatively humble footballing beginnings.

They are European quarter-finalists for the third season running, and favourites since August to win this one. That might have been beyond the imagination of some in his squad only a few years ago.

Emery still chafes a little at the favourites label, noting the dangers of a physical and aggressive Bologna team with their fans behind them. It is a fair warning.

But for the core of this Villa squad which has grown together since even before Emery arrived, the six weeks ahead are their best chance to fulfil their dreams.

Listen to full commentary of Bologna v Aston Villa at 20:00 BST on Friday on BBC Radio WM [95.6FM/DAB/Freeview 714]

And tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

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Bologna have become a familiar face for the Aston Villa faithful in recent times.

Not only did the sides play eachother in the group stage of the Europa League earlier this season, but they also met in last season's Champions League campaign.

Unai Emery's side came out on top on both occaisions, but Villa defender Matty Cash is not expecting an easy ride.

"They are a really good team," Cash told the media. "Man to man, all over the pitch. They are really strong. I know their goalkeeper, [Lukasz] Skorupski, I've spoken to him about Bologna at [Poland] training camps. I've seen their fixtures since we last played them and they haven't really lost in Europe. We know how good they are.

"Two legs, a 180 minute game - a lot can happen, especially coming away to a place like this is going to be difficult. But we are going to try and do what we can to put ourselves in a good position for next week."

Borussia Dortmund are weighing up a third move for winger Jadon Sancho, who is on loan at Aston Villa and is expected to leave Manchester United as a free agent this summer. (Telegraph - subscription required, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Europa League game against Bologna at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emery gave an assessment of the international break: "Players playing with the national team is very good because they are keeping their rhythm and on some days they rested more than normal on some days. With the other players we were resting and working, trying to get the balance. We didn't want to lose the mental process we are building and we are ready."

• He says Jadon Sancho will not be out for much longer. He hopes that the winger will be back in "maybe one or two weeks".

• Emery spoke highly of Bologna manager Vincenzo Italiano, highlighting his excellent record in knockout football - he has reached three finals in the past three years with Fiorentina (twice) and Bologna.

• He added that his side "must adapt" tactically to deal with Bologna's pressing: "I have played Italian teams before. They play so clear and they are consistent with getting their duels individually. As a team, they want to always get in to duels. Imposing our positioning and our tactics is going to be difficult. To compete is to adapt."

Listen to full match commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live

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Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

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The Premier League will have at least five teams in the Champions League next season after securing a European Performance Spot for the second straight year.

The extra place was confirmed on Tuesday as Arsenal beat Sporting 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Uefa awards an additional place to the two leagues with the best overall performance across the three European competitions.

The race for fifth place in the Premier League, currently held by Liverpool on 49 points, is exceptionally tight.

Just seven points separate Arne Slot's side from 13th-placed Bournemouth.

Chelsea (48) sit in sixth followed by Brentford (46), Everton (46), Fulham (44), Brighton (43), Sunderland (43), Newcastle (42) and Bournemouth (42).

If Aston Villa, who are fourth on 54 points, win the Europa League and finish outside the top four, the Premier League would have six teams in the Champions League.

The same logic applies to Liverpool, who face Paris St-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.

If either win a European trophy and finish fifth, then sixth would qualify for the Champions League via the EPS place.

If both win European trophies and finish fifth and sixth, that would put seventh into the Champions League.

Nottingham Forest are in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. They could emulate Tottenham by winning the competition and finishing in the bottom half of the table.

Just like last season, that would create a sixth team in the Champions League for the Premier League too.

David Michael
Fan writer

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Eighteen days have passed since Aston Villa's 2-0 win over West Ham. The international break arrived at exactly the right moment, with momentum restored, a top-four lead rebuilt and returning key players given extra time to recover.

Now comes the part that actually matters.

Thursday's Europa League quarter-final first leg against Bologna is not simply a European tie. It is the opening act of a seven-game league mini-season that will define the club's immediate future.

Villa hold a five-point lead over Liverpool and six over Chelsea in the race for Champions League football, with one of those three most likely to miss out. The Easter transfer stories linking Morgan Rogers and Amadou Onana to moves away were not coincidental. They were a reminder of what the club stands to lose if they do not get this right, regardless of where the Uefa financial regulations conversation leads next.

As the club's recent accounts proved, last season's Champions League participation was transformative for the club and they need to return pronto.

The Bologna fixture itself carries its own precedent. In September, a 1-0 win over the same opponents in the league stage of the Europa League kickstarted a season that had stalled badly after a goalless opening run. Villa will be hoping history repeats.

Bologna arrive in uncertain form. Sitting eighth in Serie A, nine points off European qualification, their resurgence over the past two seasons in Serie A has cooled.

Bologna remain dangerous, though. Their win over Roma in the previous round and their third-best Serie A form over the past six games confirm that. But they have won just one of their past six home games, which may be the most important statistic in terms of Villa travelling there for the away leg this week.

Beating Bologna kickstarted Villa's season once already. On Thursday, Unai Emery will be hoping a repeat can do it again for the final run-in.

Find more from David Michael at My Old Man Said, external

Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana, 24, could be set for a big money move away from the club, with Manchester United among his suitors. (Football Insider), external

Villa are among the clubs interested in midfielder Manuel Ugarte, 24, who could be offloaded by Manchester United this summer. (Caught Offside), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Morgan Rogers would be open to leaving Aston Villa this summer, with Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United all in the mix to sign the 23-year-old England midfielder. (Sun), external

West Ham United forward Crysencio Summerville is being monitored by Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham, Marseille and Napoli. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Good news from the Villa accounts, with an accompanying statement on Villa's website which could be read like a House of Commons speech on Budget Day, with backbenchers shouting comments in the background.

All together now: Revenue UP! Sponsorship UP! Commercial revenue UP! And, Mr Speaker, a profit: "the club has made significant progress against its stated objective of delivering sustainable improvement both on and off the pitch."

There is no disputing the claim of improvement. Villa's next engagement is a Europa League quarter-final against Bologna, a third successive April in which they will play in the last eight of a European competition. When Villa fans arrive for the home leg, they will find that preparation work for the North Stand replacement has begun, to increase Villa Park's capacity to more than 50,000 by winter 2027-28. The new Warehouse entertainment venue, adjacent to the stadium, has been finished along with further enhancement to facilities at the Bodymoor Heath training ground. Looking ahead, there is every reason to look forward to Europe next season too, Villa having occupied a Champions League-paying position since November.

This is where the risk lies. The "improvement both on and off the pitch" is undeniable. The word "sustainable" is the tricky bit. Villa have reported a profit of £17m for 2024-25, the season in which they played in the Champions League. Compared with a loss of nearly £90m in the previous year, and achieved while investing substantially in their facilities, that is a formidable headline improvement. The efforts to increase revenue at the club – while controversial for many fans, at least relating to ticket prices – have delivered big results, up more than a third to £378m. Many of the investments in facilities should help to sustain revenue at higher levels in future.

But the major contribution to this increase was their performance not only in qualifying for the Champions League, but reaching the last eight. Villa have followed other clubs by selling assets like the women's team to other companies in the same ownership group, moves which also contribute to these figures, but cannot be made every year.

Next year's accounts will give a useful comparison, by which time Villa's story will have moved on again. It still looks more likely than not that Villa will be part of the biggest European tournament again come September. But these figures – while demonstrating the astonishing progress under the current owners – underline how important a Champions League place is to sustaining their giant ambitions, while limboing under the various financial regulations many around Villa feel treat them too harshly.

Listen to full commentary of Bologna v Aston Villa at 8pm on Thursday 9 April on BBC Radio WM [95.6FM/DAB/Freeview 714]

And tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

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Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers says England "know how good we are" and will "be ready" for this summer's World Cup, despite Tuesday's 1-0 friendly defeat by Japan at Wembley.

Rogers struggled to get into the game and has now not registered a goal involvement in his past nine matches for club and country.

"We go out to win every game and be at our best," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We weren't at it. Japan are a really good side and they took their chance and we didn't.

"We keep moving, we keep working, we keep pushing. This isn't the end goal by all means. We know what we're looking forward to, we're all aligned and we'll be ready for that moment when it comes in the summer.

"The fans are going to be disappointed. The media are going to talk about: 'We're not ready yet and we're not favourites.' We don't look at that at all.

"We know how good we are. We know how good we can be. We believe we can challenge any team in the world and it's about showing that and being at our best when it comes to that. We're still a few months away from that. We'll learn, work and be ready.

"We've got everything as a nation to go and compete at the highest level. And we know that. It's about focusing, doing everything right, looking at each other and looking at ourselves."

Hannah Gowen
Fan writer

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Football has funny ways of surprising you.

On 1 September, at the end of a pretty underwhelming transfer window for Aston Villa, not many would have looked to free transfer Victor Lindelof as a potential star for the season. Among the arrivals of £30m Evann Guessand and high-profile loanees Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho, the signing of Lindelof felt more sensible than scintillating.

Cut to the end of March and the Sweden international has done more than make up the defensive numbers. Of the past 14 games he has started, Villa have won 10 of them. His role became critical at the end of 2025 when Pau Torres was sidelined with an injury, filling in to create a solid partnership with Ezri Konsa during what was probably Villa's best spell of the season.

Perhaps we should not be surprised by this. While some of Villa's recruitment has been questionable in recent years, Lindelof possesses many traits of a classic Unai Emery player. A disciplined professional with experience, defensively sound and tactically flexible - the latter of which demonstrated through his brief cameos in defensive midfield this season.

At the same time, stats may not paint the whole picture. More than anything, the eye test has proven Villa's number three to be a far better footballer than many would have anticipated.

The club are entering their most critical stage of the season, with just seven league games to play and the chance of European success still on the table. Having players like Lindelof in the squad is now more important than ever.

Rotation is inevitable but perhaps Victor's name should be on the starting team sheet more often. If nothing else, he has shown that sometimes the dependable early-30s centre-half signed on a free can in fact be a standout signing.

Find more from Hannah Gowen at UTV, external