Here’s Paul MacInnes’ report. The story is Watkins’ brace and Villa’s advantage, but watching Rowe tonight was a complete joy. Anywho, that’s all from me. Thanks for reading.
Owen Hargreaves raves about Rowe. "He played like a Champions League player.”
Ollie Watkins talks to TNT: “At half-time I said to the boys, ‘come on lads, we need to wake up. We got lucky, they had a disallowed goal.’
“Back end of the season I’m raring to go. I could play another 90 minutes right now. I’m excited for the last few games.
“Their winger was causing all sorts of problems tonight.”
Bologna had 19 shots to Villa’s eight, and the hosts dominated possession, too. I’m still feeling for Rowe, and Matty Cash, too – the Villa right-back had it tough tonight. I imagine we’ll see the former Norwich man back in the Premier League down the line.
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Jonathan Rowe was scintillating for Bologna out on the left. But two corners did the trick for Villa, combined with some slack defending. Ollie Watkins had a terrific game up top, delivering with a brace. Thomas Tuchel, give him a ring.
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FULL-TIME: Bologna 1-3 Aston Villa
A truly bizarre game.
That is so, so poor from Bologna, once again from a corner. Tielemans sends in a delicious ball and Watkins finds himself free in the six-yard box. He does so well to take it down and the finish is simple from close range.
GOAL! Bologna 1-3 Aston Villa (Watkins (90+4)
Wow.
90+3 min: We’ve got three added minutes … and Villa have a corner.
Yes, you guessed it. Rowe picks the ball up on the left, cuts in with speed and launches a beautiful, dipping effort to beat Martínez.
GOAL! Bologna 1-2 Aston Villa (Rowe 90)
Boy has he deserved that.
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87 min: Right then, apparently Morgan Rogers wasn’t booked in the first half – an error on the TV coverage. He has got one now. Nonetheless, he makes his way off to be replaced by Maatsen.
86 min: The home crowd roars before Bologna take a short corner – Rowe launches another shot and meets another block. He won’t stop – but sometimes it’s just not your night.
84 min: Bernardeschi crosses from the left, the ball breaks nicely for João Mário to strike but Pau Torres makes a decent block. Bologna are pressing and pressing, desperate for that goal to take to Villa Park.
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81 min: Here’s the non-stop Rowe again – he cuts in from the left, yes, again, and launches. The ball is heading for the top right corner but the leaping Martínez tips the ball over.
78 min: Rowe cuts in and whips a teasing ball into the area … but Martínez collects. Rowe then goes on the outside of Cash, bursting into the area … the ball finds Bernardeschi whose effort meets the woodwork. Rowe desperately deserves something from tonight.
77 min: Watkins’ hold-up play has been excellent tonight – he wins a free-kick in his half … moments later he’s collecting over on the left wing to keep Villa moving.
75 min: Castro’s cross from the Bologna right smacks Torres on the head, the ball looping up for Martínez to collect.
74 min: McGinn backs into Freuler in midfield and eventually wins Villa a free-kick with his shielding. The set-piece is quickly wasted.
72 min: It’s a Watkins-Buendía show this half – they combine again before the latter launches too high once more.
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71 min: Castro goes down and Bologna have a free-kick from distance out on the right … they play it short before Rowe, for the umpteenth time, cuts in from the left. His effort is blocked and Villa counter …
69 min: Buendía is everywhere at the moment for Villa – he fires over from the edge of the area.
67 min: Bologna change things up, bringing on Orsolini and Moro for Ferguson and Pobega.
65 min: Excellent from Watkins as he turns and goes inside his own half to get Villa moving … Buendiá is taken down by Pobega, who receives a yellow.
62 min: Rowe remains electric, causing Cash all sorts. The Bologna man cuts in again before launching a low, curling effort, that bottom right corner just out of reach.
61 min: Cash sticks to the dangerous Rowe as the winger cuts in … Digne safely heads a cross to Martínez.
58 min: Rogers goes down inside the area … but the referee isn’t having any of it. Looked a penalty to me on first glance after he clashed with Bernardeschi … but who knows nowadays.
56 min: Watkins holds the ball up, finds Rogers, who finds enough room to launch a dipping effort from the edge of the area. It’s just over – Villa are finally starting to look the part.
55 min: Buendía is putting in a real shift – he’s back in his own half to pull out a sliding challenge.
Buendía is the creator, pressing high on the left to intercept the ball. It falls nicely for Watkins but he’s still got to show composure from a tight angle inside the area – the low finish is immaculate.
GOAL! Bologna 0-2 Aston Villa (Watkins 51)
Clinical from Watkins!
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50 min: Rowe is down again, this time by the halfway line after clashing with Cash.
49 min: Martínez spends an age on the ball once again … before launching another long, unsuccessful punt.
48 min: With Rowe still on the ground, the referee does eventually press pause. But the forward is fine as he zips down the wing again moments later and finds Pobega on the edge of the area … the No 4’s shot travels high.
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46 min: Rowe and Miranda work the ball about on the left – Rowe cuts in, goes down under pressure from Onana and appeals for a free-kick but the referee plays on.
Here we go again. Bologna kick the second half off.
A fascinating half. Bologna were the ones in control, dominant over on that left-hand side, forcing Ezri Konsa to divert the ball in to his own net. But Santiago Castro was marginally offside in the buildup. Konsa, less than 20 minutes later, rose to head in at the other end. Unai Emery’s side lead but he surely needs to tweak things during the break.
HALF-TIME: Bologna 0-1 Aston Villa
Bologna have a corner to finish the half – but Martínez collects to bring the whistle.
45+1 min: Two minutes are added on – Vincenzo Italiano, on the touchline, has hands on hips.
Tielemans sends the corner deep and Ravaglia, in goal and with no one around him, dives but fails to get a touch. Konsa, hanging by the far post, heads into an empty net.
GOAL! Bologna 0-1 Aston Villa (Konsa 44)
Well, I didn’t see that coming.
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43 min: McGinn’s ball to the far post finds Onana in space … his ball across goal is blocked out for another corner.
42 min: Tielemans has the ball as Villa venture forward … McGinn’s cross wins a corner …
41 min: Buendía hassles João Mário to win the ball for Villa … but here’s Rowe, who sends in another teasing ball from Bologna’s left. He’s been the player of the half.
38 min: McGinn gives Bologna a brief scare, launching with his left foot from range – he’s not far away from the bottom right corner.
36 min: Ferguson takes hold of the ball as Bologna continue to dominate possession.
35 min: John McGinn is basically operating as a right-back with Villa off the ball, helping Cash out.
33 min: Rowe and Castro are turning it up on the left as the latter wins a free-kick.
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29 min: Now it’s Bologna’s turn to hit the bar. Rowe crosses with the outside of his boot, Ferguson gets a touch but Martínez remains unbeaten. Bologna are all over Villa.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Bologna 0-0 Aston Villa
Rowe battles to win the ball in the midfield, advances forward, with Castro available to his left. Castro receives inside the area, plays it back into the middle, it deflects off Konsa and heads towards goal … the spinning ball is over the line before Cash clears. But, wait, we’ve got a VAR check … Castro was offside in the buildup. Relief for the visitors.
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GOAL! Bologna 1-0 Aston Villa (Konsa og 26)
It’s been coming.
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24 min: Tielemans remains serene on the ball when receiving with his back to goal … but Villa haven’t bothered Bologna so far.
23 min: Bologna look dangerous on the left. Miranda is up high, hovering by the touchline when they’ve got the ball, with Rowe drifting inside.
21 min: Miranda gets Bologna going on the left, playing in Castro … who scuffs a shot from a tight angle. Just moments later the left-back launches an acrobatic effort into the ground, forcing Martínez to tip the ball round for a corner.
20 min: Stephen McCrossan isn’t best pleased with what he’s seen so far:
What is it with English teams this season?
Liverpool’s main ‘tactic’ last night seemed to be getting Joe Gomez to tediously dry the ball with his special towel and fling long throws into PSG’s box.
Tonight, 10 minutes in and Villa’s strategy is Martinez rolling his studs over the ball (also tedious) before launching a blooter up the park to no-one.
Meanwhile, PSG showed us what football should be like.
18 min: Bernardeschi outfoxes Digne on the right for Bologna – but his cross, with the outside of the boot, is blocked by Tielemans. The appeal for handball is futile.
17 min: Digne zips down the left … but can’t get on the end of a long ball down the line from Pau Torres.
15 min: Tielemans sends a delicious ball into the area … Watkins’ eyes light up as he finds space … but he can’t get on the end of it. Even a faint touch could have been enough to open the scoring.
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14 min: Buendía collects by the halfway line and looks set to release a ball for Watkins … but Lucumí takes him down and earns a yellow.
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12 min: Martínez continues to take his sweet time on the ball for Villa, weighing up his options. Bologna aren’t bothering to press him. Another long punt is unsuccessful from the keeper. Miranda, the Bologna left-back, is high up the pitch for the hosts.
10 min: João Mário, the Bologna right-back, cuts in to whip a cross to the far post with his left foot – it’s a touch too heavy, beating everyone.
8 min: Bologna are starting to wheel it around, with Villa camped inside their own half.
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6 min: Another punt from Martínez fails to find a teammate. Rowe, on the left for Bologna, leaves Cash on the floor after receiving from a long ball. He cuts in but doesn’t release for a shot … Bologna get their first little spell of possession.
5 min: Martínez, under pressure, kicks out for a throw-in. Bologna’s Pobega grabs on to Onana’s shirt as Villa win a free-kick in their half – not the most thrilling start, this.
3 min: Martínez takes his time on the ball … before a long punt for Watkins to chase. Bologna are rocking an aqua number while Villa are in black.
1 min: Villa wheel the ball around at the back, with Martínez getting a few early touches in goal.
Peeeeeeep!
Villa kick things off. Here we go!
There is a moment of silence for Mircea Lucescu.
The players are out. The DJ presses play on the Unai Emery anthem.
Federico Bernardeschi has just a couple of goals in Serie A for Bologna this season – but he’s their leading man in the Europa League, with five this campaign. He scored in both legs of their last-16 triumph against Roma.
Antony T writes in. The references are, I’m afraid, lost on me.
I’m liking the omens here. Stadio Renato? Well, Renato (RIP), of my local Mere Green Italian restaurant and chart topping Renee and Renato fame, was also a Villa fan!
It’s tenuous, so Save Your Love until after the match.
One for no one under the age of 50 there!
Wave goodbye to the stars.
Another Liverpool great is on the way out.
Youri Tielemans starts for Aston Villa for the first time since January. Jonathan Rowe, who began his career at Norwich, lines up for Bologna. They’re captained by Scotland international Lewis Ferguson.
The teams
Bologna: Ravaglia, João Mário, Heggem, Lucumí, Miranda, Ferguson, Freuler, Pobega, Bernardeschi, Castro, Rowe
Subs: Pessina, Franceschelli, Moro, Orsolini, Casale, Zortea, Odgaard, Sohm, Cambiaghi, Castaldo
Aston Villa: Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, McGinn, Onana, Tielemans, Buendía, Rogers, Watkins
Subs: Bizot, Wright, Lindelöf, Mings, Elliott, Andrés García, Abraham, Douglas Luiz, Maatsen, Bogarde, Bailey
If you don’t want to hang out here, Will Unwin’s covering Porto against Nottingham Forest.
Quite the line.
The Renato Dall’Ara stadium is a classic example of fascist architecture, marked by the imposing Maratona Tower. Mussolini oversaw the ceremonial opening in 1926; it was his last visit to Bologna, as someone tried to assassinate him in the city later that day.
Preamble
Aston Villa are getting pretty used to European quarter-finals. This is their third on the bounce: they beat Lille in the Conference League two years ago and fell just short against Paris Saint-Germain, the eventual champions, last April in the Champions League. Now it’s time for the Europa, with a visit to Bologna. Unai Emery is in his element.
Yes, this is where the Spaniard really turns it on; he’s won this trophy four times, more than anyone else. Villa have already beaten Bologna this season and Emery has Youri Tielemans back after two months out with an ankle injury. Things have been a little ropey in the league but they’re fourth and in with a serious shot at a first major trophy in 30 years.
But there’s still plenty to do. “Bologna is a winner team, it’s a team that in the last years are playing fantastic and they are winning finals like last year [in the Coppa Italia],” warned Emery yesterday. Vincenzo Italiano, their head coach, reached successive Conference League finals with Fiorentina and – forget Villa’s drought – he ended Bologna’s 51-year trophy wait in 2025. Another party in the Piazza Maggiore is still in reach. The first leg kicks off at 8pm BST.
