Aston Villa take on the visitors Bologna in the round 1 match of UEFA Europa League group stage. The match will be played on Thursday, September 25th at Villa Park (Birmingham).
Aston Villa did not want to start this season like this. The Villans have shown clear progress under Unai Emery. Last season they finally returned to the Champions League, reaching the knockout stage and only losing to PSG, the eventual winners. But they dramatically missed out on a Premier League top-5 spot in the spring. It’s enough to say that Newcastle finished above them on the same 66 points. This season already feels like a step backwards, and their summer transfer activity raised eyebrows — there was nothing like the strengthening seen a year earlier. No surprise they made late moves on deadline day, bringing in Lindelöf, Sancho and Elliott. Yet even with these additions, the attack struggled to fire — 0-0 with Everton, a League Cup exit to Brentford, and a draw with Sunderland at the weekend. The lack of cutting edge in the final third has become a recurring theme, and Villa’s reliance on Ollie Watkins looks heavier than ever. Defensively, though, Emery’s side remain solid, which keeps them in games even when the attack underperforms.
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Bologna made a huge leap under Thiago Motta two years ago, finishing fifth in Serie A. That secured a Champions League berth, though by then Vincenzo Italiano had taken charge — and failed, not making it out of the group stage. They also dropped back to mid-table in the league, but managed to offset that disappointment with a Coppa Italia triumph. This season, Vincenzo and his players have not had an easy start, though the schedule has been harsh — defeats by narrow 0-1 margins away to Roma and Milan can hardly be called disastrous. At least they claimed a 1-0 home win over Como. In their most recent match against Genoa, however, they failed to find a breakthrough and dropped more valuable points. Bologna’s midfield structure looks good, but their forwards are struggling for efficiency, which has already cost them in tight games. If the attack doesn’t improve soon, Italiano’s side could risk sliding into the bottom half of the table.
Just under a year ago, in October, the Champions League newcomers faced off in Birmingham. The English side secured a professional 2-0 victory. The Villans, despite their issues, look stronger under current circumstances, especially as the visitors have their own weaknesses. The bet is on Unai Emery’s men to win.
Prediction for the match: Aston Villa to win.
