Aston Villa could be on end of unwanted first vs Bologna as Villa Park footage emerges
Aston Villa are preparing to open their Europa League campaign against Bologna.
Unai Emery is a European football master and will be hoping to showcase his managerial qualities in the competition once again, this time at Villa Park.
This latest journey is set to kick off for Villa against Bologna on Thursday night, replicating a clash in last season’s Champions League.
Coming off the back of Villa’s draw at Sunderland in the Premier League, expectations will be high for the B6 club on their return to continental action.
The claret and blue outfit will be keen to pick up a victory, with a supercomputer backing Villa to beat Bologna, in order to avoid yet another frustrating blow in B6.
Bologna have shocking record vs English teams
It looks destined to be a quiet atmosphere as the Villans face off against the Serie A outfit, in frustrating fashion.
Villa Park tickets are now available for £30 against Bologna, representing a slap in the face for those who paid upwards of £60 as their entrance fee.
All supporters may still bear witness to a positive result for the home side, based on the Italians’ performance against English sides in UEFA competition.
Having lost in the Midlands last year, Bologna extended their record, shared by The Athletic’s John Townley via X on 25 September, alongside footage of Villa Park ahead of the European clash.
In the Champions League, the Red and Blues have lost both their fixtures against English sides, racking up a minus four goal difference, with this clash in B6 representing their first in the Europa League.
By comparison, Villa have never lost to an Italian side in the same competition, winning one and drawing another, a record they will be keen to maintain.
Bologna are featuring in major European competition in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1998-99 and 1999-00.
Aston Villa must take advantage of Bologna record
There is no getting away from how important this clash will be for Emery and his players as pressure continues to rise in B6.
Having failed to win a single game this campaign, there is a huge need to kickstart form with a positive result in the Europa League opener.
There will be hope that the likes of Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers can get back to their best, especially against a side that Villa beat 2-0 last season with relative ease.
| Stat | Aston Villa | Bologna |
| Possession | 53 | 47 |
| Expected goals | 1.18 | 0.86 |
| Shots | 16 | 12 |
| Passes | 449 | 389 |
This will represent a measure of how far Villa have regressed in the past 12 months, despite being in a different European competition this time around.
Given the shocking record of Bologna, there is no reason why the Villans can’t pick up another win and silence some doubters in the Midlands.
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