Stadio Renato Dall’Ara will play host to the first leg of this quarter-final tie between Bologna and Aston Villa on Thursday night. The Premier League outfit have defeated the Serie A club twice in less than two seasons, which will certainly give them a boost in their hopes of securing a spot in the semi-finals.
The home team did not have the best of starts to their Europa League campaign, but they did pick up pace at the right time to finish with 15 points in their eight outings. However, it was not enough to secure a direct spot in the round of 16. Bologna went past Norwegian club Brann in the playoffs to set up a round of 16 tie with rivals AS Roma.
While the Giallorossi were considered the favourites, Bologna punched above their weight and secured a hard-fought 5-4 win on aggregate. They have been in decent form in Serie A, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 win over Cremonese.
Meanwhile, the visitors are one of the favourites to win the Europa League, having finished second in the league phase. The West Midlands outfit went straight into the round of 16, where they squared up against French club LOSC Lille.
Unai Emery’s men dominated proceedings and secured a comfortable 3-0 win on aggregate. The Villans may have slipped down to fourth in the Premier League but are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-0 win over West Ham prior to the break.
While they are expected to dominate proceedings, Bologna have already shown that they can cause an upset. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
The visitors will definitely be without the services of Lukasz Skorupski (thigh) and Martin Vitik (suspended). Meanwhile, Benjamin Dominguez (hip), Charalampos Lykogiannis, Thijs Dallinga and Jens Odgaard (thigh) are all doubtful after having missed their last league outing.
Bologna could line up in a 4-3-3 formation for this outing against Aston Villa on Thursday. Federico Ravaglia will continue in goal with Skorupski out injured. Joao Mario and Juan Miranda will feature as full-backs, while Jhon Lucumi will pair up with Torbjorn Heggem in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Nikola Moro will start alongside Remo Freuler and Lewis Ferguson in the centre of the park. The trio would love to dominate the ball, but that seems unlikely. They might have to play the waiting game and will certainly look to create opportunities to hit Villa on the break.
Federico Bernardeschi and Jonathan Rowe will be providing width to their attacks, while Santiago Castro will lead the line for Bologna against Aston Villa on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ravaglia; Mario, Lucumi, Heggem, Miranda; Moro, Freuler, Ferguson; Bernardeschi, Castro, Rowe
Unai Emery will have most of his squad available for selection in this fixture. Boubacar Kamara (knee) is the only player ruled out, while Jadon Sancho is a major doubt, having picked up a shoulder injury in a friendly against Elche last week.
Aston Villa will stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Emiliano Martínez will feature in goal. Matty Cash and Lucas Digne will be the full-backs, while Ezri Konsa will pair up with Pau Torres in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans will form the double pivot in the middle of the pitch. The central midfield duo will shield the backline and look to control the tempo of the game.
John McGinn and Morgan Rogers are expected to take charge on the flanks, with the duo providing width to their attacks. Emiliano Buendia will feature in the number ten role, while Oliie Watkins should continue to spearhead the Aston Villa attack against Bologna.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Buendia, Rogers; Watkins
Morgan Rogers will be the player to watch as Aston Villa look to make a strong statement in the first leg. The 23-year-old has been one of their most consistent performers this season, registering ten goals and seven assists in 44 appearances across competitions.
The Englishman’s ability to drive forward with the ball, take on defenders, and link up play in the final third makes him a key outlet for Unai Emery’s side, especially in games where they are expected to dominate possession. While his Europa League numbers might not stand out, just one goal and two assists in ten outings, this fixture presents the perfect opportunity for Rogers to step up on the continental stage.
Aston Villa will head into this fixture full of confidence, given their strong record in the competition and recent form. Unai Emery’s men are expected to control proceedings, dominate possession, and look to create consistent pressure on the Bologna backline, especially with their attacking unit in good rhythm.
Bologna, however, have shown resilience in Europe and will look to stay compact while trying to exploit spaces on the counter. While they could make things difficult in phases, Aston Villa’s superior quality and experience at this stage should help them get the job done and take a comfortable advantage into the second leg. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the away team.
