Key occasions
The groups
Bologna: Ravaglia, João Mário, Heggem, Lucumí, Miranda, Ferguson, Freuler, Pobega, Bernardeschi, Castro, Rowe
Subs: Pessina, Franceschelli, Moro, Orsolini, Casale, Zortea, Odgaard, Sohm, Cambiaghi, Castaldo
Aston Villa: Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, McGinn, Onana, Tielemans, Buendía, Rogers, Watkins
Subs: Bizot, Wright, Lindelöf, Mings, Elliott, Andrés García, Abraham, Douglas Luiz, Maatsen, Bogarde, Bailey
If you don’t need to hang around right here, Will Unwin’s masking Porto in opposition to Nottingham Forest.
Quite the road.
The Renato Dall’Ara stadium is a traditional instance of fascist structure, marked by the imposing Maratona Tower. Mussolini oversaw the ceremonial opening in 1926; it was his final go to to Bologna, as somebody tried to assassinate him within the metropolis later that day.
Preamble
Aston Villa are getting fairly used to European quarter-finals. This is their third on the bounce: they beat Lille within the Conference League two years in the past and fell simply brief in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain, the eventual champions, final April within the Champions League. Now it’s time for the Europa, with a go to to Bologna. Unai Emery is in his aspect.
Yes, that is the place the Spaniard actually turns it on; he’s received this trophy 4 occasions, greater than anybody else. Villa have already overwhelmed Bologna this season and Emery has Youri Tielemans again after two months out with an ankle harm. Things have been somewhat ropey within the league however they’re fourth and in with a critical shot at a first main trophy in 30 years.
But there’s nonetheless lots to do. “Bologna is a winner team, it’s a team that in the last years are playing fantastic and they are winning finals like last year [in the Coppa Italia],” warned Emery yesterday. Vincenzo Italiano, their head coach, reached successive Conference League finals with Fiorentina and – overlook Villa’s drought – he ended Bologna’s 51-year trophy wait in 2025. Another party in the Piazza Maggiore continues to be in attain. The first leg kicks off at 8pm BST.
