Aston Villa: Emi Buendia can’t be snubbed again, he will have telling impact vs Bologna
Aston Villa must call on Emi Buendia to help secure victory over Bologna on Thursday.
The Villans are preparing for the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash against the Serie A outfit on 16 April, with a 3-1 aggregate lead in place.
It is the third time in two seasons that the Red-Blues will feature at Villa Park and are yet to win a single one so far.
Things may prove different as pressure mounts on Unai Emery’s side, with the final four of the European competition lying in wait.
Villa need to secure a victory over Bologna and would certainly benefit from Buendia’s talents after his first-leg performance.
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Emi Buendia was excellent in first leg vs Bologna
The B6 outfit sealed a 3-1 win in their first ever trip to face Italian opposition at their home.
Despite the hosts having plenty of shots on goal, the Villans were able to seal a two-goal advantage ahead of the second leg.
| Stat | Bologna | Aston Villa |
| Possession (%) | 58 | 42 |
| Expected goals | 0.85 | 1.57 |
| Shots | 19 | 8 |
| Big chances | 1 | 4 |
Ezri Konsa opened the scoring in the first half as he headed into an open net before Ollie Watkins went on to bag a brace.
The first of the striker’s goals came off the back of some excellent work from Buendia to win possession from ex-West Brom man Torbjorn Heggem.
That summed up his game as the attacking midfielder picked up an assist, while creating two chances on the night.
He also took two shots, clocked up six defensive actions, and won nine duels, which kept the intensity high for the away side.
Buendia was arguably the star of the show against Bologna and needs the opportunity to start against them in the return leg.
Beundia can replace Ross Barkley in Aston Villa starting XI
A change will be required at Villa Park, regardless of what Emery wants, as Ross Barkley has to be dropped from the side.
The Englishman isn’t part of the Europa League squad and will be forced to watch from the stands in the West Midlands.
He didn’t have the best time against Nottingham Forest last time around as he started but failed to truly make a positive impression.
The 32-year-old didn’t create a chance, while making just two passes into the final third despite featuring across 77 minutes at the City Ground.
Buendia could take his place in the starting XI at Villa Park and prove why he deserves to keep his role in claret and blue moving forward.
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