Europa League: Is the Third Time the Charm for Bologna?

Bologna vs Aston Villa

Bologna will meet Aston Villa for the third time in two seasons, as the Rossoblu will host the Villans at the Renato Dall’Ara Stadium this Thursday for the opening leg of their Europa League quarter-finals tie. Vincenzo Italiano’s men made it this far by outlasting AS Roma in the Round of 16, while Unai Emery’s side is here after dispatching Lille in the previous round.

With Bologna playing catch-up in Serie A, sitting in eighth place, winning the Europa League could be their only way to secure a Champions League berth next term. In contrast, Aston Villa are expected to finish within the Premier League top 5. But still, the Villans are eager to win because they haven’t won a major European trophy for almost four decades.

Both teams are coming off league wins. Bologna beat Cremonese 2-1, and Aston Villa won 2-0 against West Ham United. 

 

Talking Points

Key losses for Bologna

Bologna have been building momentum in the past few weeks. The Rossoblu have won three of their last four across all competitions, and they hope to keep it going against Aston Villa, even if it seems like a long shot.

During their most recent win against Cremonese, Lewis Ferguson received his marching orders for earning his second yellow card in stoppage time. Fortunately for the Scot, his suspension is not applicable in Europe, so he should start as the Rossoblu’s No. 10 on Thursday. He has featured in all 12 of Bologna’s European matches this term.

Ferguson will likely have Federico Bernardeschi and Jonathan Rowe up front against Aston Villa. Bernardeschi has registered five goals, including one in each leg against AS Roma. Rowe has recorded five goal contributions across his last six Europa League appearances, and he also found the net on Sunday at Cremona. 

Left-back Juan Miranda is likely to return to the rotation after serving his one-match ban at Stadio Olimpico. However, the same can’t be said for Benjamin Dominguez, Charalampos Lykogiannis, Thijs Dallinga, Jens Odgaard, and Lukasz Skorupski, as all of them missed the Cremonese match and are doubtful to play on Thursday. 

 

McGinn on the cusp of hitting an Aston Villa first

John McGinn is certainly on top of Bologna’s scouting report this midweek, as the Scottish skipper could hit new ground for Aston Villa on Thursday. He has scored nine goals already in the Europa League this term, and is one goal away from becoming the first Villan to hit double figures in Europe.

During Aston Villa’s recent wins over Lille and West Ham United, McGinn was on the scoresheet alongside Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins. Head coach Unai Emery will likely roll with Watkins as the No. 9 alongside McGinn, Morgan Rogers, and Emi Buendia, with Bailey likely coming off the bench. 

The rare long break has done wonders for Aston Villa’s absentee list, as Youri Tielemans has fresher legs. The Belgian playmaker could start for the first time in several weeks, likely linking up with Amadou Onana in the middle.

 

History

As noted, Thursday marks the third European encounter between Bologna and Aston Villa. The Villans won their two previous meetings against the Rossoblu. 

Aston Villa won 2-0 in the 2024-25 Champions League phase in October 2024, and they followed it up with a 1-0 victory in this season’s Europa League phase last September. John McGinn has scored for the Villans in both matches. Manager Unai Emery has extensive experience in the Europa League, having won it four times already. 

Bologna are undefeated in their last 11 European matches, a club record, with their most recent defeat at Villa Park being their sole loss in 15. The Rossoblu are two-time Europa Conference League runners-up under Vincenzo Italiano, who will now lead his current group into their fifth UEFA quarter-final. This is the team’s first since eliminating Lyon in the 1998-99 UEFA Cup.

 

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP Europa League 2026 odds expect a cagey affair between Bologna and Aston Villa. Aston Villa have the slight advantage at 2.42 odds, whereas Bologna aren’t far behind at 2.78, and a draw is at 3.03 in the 1X2 market.

Since we aren’t sure who will win the first leg (and the quarter-final tie), we will look at the possible goal count instead, and there should be enough Europa League 2026 highlights to go by at Bologna this midweek. Moreover, the Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of the Villans – the result of their previous encounter – could yield a handsome payout of 7.20.

   

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