Bologna will have to script an incredible comeback and overturn a two-goal deficit against Aston Villa away from home to keep themselves alive in the Europa League. Having lost the first leg 3-1 at home, the Italian outfit have a mountain to climb heading into the second leg.
After finishing 2nd in the league phase, Aston Villa took down LOSC Lille in the round of 16 to book a place in the quarter finals. Unai Emery has already won the competition on four occasions, and his team are one of the favourites to go all the way.
They got the job done in the first leg and will now look to ease past Bologna with a comfortable outing at home. Post their 3-1 win over the Italian outfit, they could only manage a 1-1 draw against Nottingham, but that is unlikely to have an impact on this fixture.
Meanwhile, the visitors failed to secure a top-eight finish in the league phase and had to go through Brann in the playoffs to face AS Roma in the round of 16. Despite being the underdogs, Bologna fought hard and secured a 5-4 win on aggregate to set up this tie against Aston Villa.
While they made more of the ball and took more shots at goal in the first leg, the Italian outfit were not clinical enough. Villa might have created fewer chances, but they were able to make the most out of them. Since that defeat, Bologna secured a 2-0 win over Lecce in the league, which will certainly give them some confidence heading into this away trip to England. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Unai Emery could be without a few of his key stars. Emiliano Martínez withdrew just before kick-off on Sunday, so his availability remains a major doubt alongside Tyrone Mings.
Meanwhile, Boubacar Kamara (knee) and Jadon Sancho (shoulder) are still injured, while Ross Barkley is ineligible after being left out of the European squad.
Emery’s men will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Marco Bizot could continue to deputise. Matty Cash and Lucas Digne are expected to be the full-backs, while Ezri Konsa will partner with Pau Torres in central defence.
The back four will be protected by Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans, who will form the double pivot in midfield. They will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they dominate the proceedings.
John McGinn and Morgan Rogers are expected to feature on the flanks, while Emiliano Buendia will take up the number ten role behind Ollie Watkins, who will continue to lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bizot; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Buendia, Rogers; Watkins
Martin Vitik is back available after serving a suspension, while Jhon Lucumi is suspended for this away fixture. Benjamin Dominguez (hip) and Lukasz Skorupski (thigh) both remain on the sidelines, while Charalampos Lykogiannis and Thijs Dallinga will undergo a late fitness test to determine their availability.
Bologna will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Federico Ravaglia will continue in goal. Joao Mario and Juan Miranda will feature as the full-backs, while Martin Vitik will partner with Torbjorn Heggem in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Nikola Moro will start alongside Remo Freuler. The duo will shield the backline and look to ensure Aston Villa midfielders do not run the show.
Lewis Ferguson will take up the number ten role, while Federico Bernardeschi and Jonathan Rowe will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Santiago Castro will continue to lead the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ravaglia; Mario, Vitik, Heggem, Miranda; Moro, Freuler; Bernardeschi, Ferguson, Rowe; Castro
Watkins certainly has not been at his best this season. While he has 12 goals and two assists in his 45 outings, the 30-year-old has been inconsistent, and it has led to a lot of talk about his future at Villa Park. However, he did step up in the first leg of the quarter-finals and bagged a brace.
If Villa are to go all the way in the competition, Watkins will have a massive part to play. With his experience, he could come in handy in crunch situations, and he has already shown that he can rise to the occasion when needed. He only has four goal contributions in the Europa League this season, but all four have come in knockout games.
Aston Villa will head into this second leg with a healthy advantage and the backing of their home crowd, which should give them a significant edge. Unai Emery’s men have shown they can be clinical in key moments, and even if they do not dominate possession, they are more than capable of punishing Bologna’s defensive lapses once again.
The visitors, meanwhile, will have no option but to take risks in search of an early goal, which could leave them vulnerable at the back. While Bologna do have the quality to trouble Villa, especially if they find rhythm in attack, overturning the deficit away from home looks like a tall order. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.
