Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Wed 8 April 2026 8:10, UK

Aston Villa are back in competitive action on Thursday evening as they travel to face Bologna in the Europa League.

Unai Emery’s side secured their passage to the quarter-finals before the international break with a 3-0 aggregate win against Lille, while their opponents secured a shock 5-4 win versus Roma over two legs.

The Villans make the trip to Emilia-Romagna having already faced the Rossoblu in this year’s competition, with John McGinn scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win at Villa Park back in September.

With a semi-final against Porto or Nottingham Forest potentially on the cards, Villa are looking to bring an advantage back to B6.

And heading into the clash, Opta’s supercomputer has predicted a favourable result for the visitors.

Aston Villa predicted as favourites vs Bologna

Vincenzo Italiano’s Bologna find themselves in the race for European football once again this term, with the former Fiorentina boss carrying on the progress made by Thiago Motta during his sensational spell.

The Rossoblu pulled off a big shock in the last round, when they knocked out tournament favourites Roma to secure a quarter-final spot. Though they face another stern test in Villa.

Villa finished second in the final standings, with their loss against Dutch outfit Go Ahead Eagles being the only one of their league phase.

Due to their placement, they carry the advantage of playing out the second leg on home soil.

For the hosts going into Thursday, they will be aiming to make the absolute most out of the home advantage before frustrating the home crowd at Villa Park.

Though if the supercomputer prediction turns out correct, Emery’s side should have more than enough to secure a semi-final spot.

Europa League success would be a huge statement for Aston Villa

Alongside Portuguese giants Porto, Villa go into the latter stages as the favourites to lift the Europa League next month.

Doing so would be a huge statement made by the Villans, who have continued to impress under Emery since his 2022 arrival.

Champions League football is a must for B6 outfit, having missed out on Europe’s premier competition last term.

And as of now, they have multiple pathways open – the Premier League and Europa League.

Winning a trophy would mark a huge step as the Midlanders look to continue challenging at the thick end of things both domestically and in continental action.

As one of the firm favourites, the next job is to secure a semi-final spot without suffering a major scare, avoiding the heartbreak suffered against Olympiakos in the Conference League two years ago.