Aston Villa Take Big Stride In UEFA Europe League Quarter-final

 

Aston Villa were victorious with a 3-1 win in a hard-fought match in the quarter-final first leg of the UEFA Europa League against an in-form Bologna on Thursday.

Ahead of the match, Bologna returned from the international break with a 2-1 win over Cremonese, but with nine points separating them from the European spots in the Italian Serie A. Therefore, winning this competition could be deemed their best route back into Europe for next season. 

The opening goal was well crafted by Villa from the corner. Eric Konga moved into space, holding off a challenger, and planted a header into the net. A moment of defensive lapse gave away the ball, and Ollie Watkins doubled the lead soon after halftime. 

Bologna were bedeviled by near misses, and Jonathan Rowe was involved in creating most of those assists. Eventually, he nailed it after many trials. The striker dazzled through the right back defensive line and curled a left-footed shot into the left corner. However, pulling a goal back for the Italians would end as a consolation when Watkins scored the winner from a corner. 

Highlight on How the Game Fared?

Bologna were incredible in the early stages of the first half. They repeatedly charged at Villa's 18-yard box, creating near chances, including Santiago Castro's goal that was ruled offside. Jonathan Rowe troubled Villa's defense multiple times, assisting Castro with passes. 

Villa gradually built resilience amid pressure and pushed back against the Italian until the pressure subsided. Consequently, they found a corner to pull off the stunning goal to take the lea/. Hence, the dynamics of the game changed.

Bologna were unfortunate. Earlier in the game, they were efficacious enough with the combination of Rowe and Castro at the front. Only that, Villa quickly reinforced the defense against their repeated threats, turning the game around to win decisively. 

Going Forward

Reaching the quarter-finals of a European competition for the third season running, and sitting amongst the  Premier League top four, things are looking promising for Aston Villa. 

Villa seemed to be making this competition their own. Seven successive UEL wins reinforce that point, and collecting a sixth win from seven European away fixtures this term would see them become the sixth English club in history to win eight European games in a row.