Aston Villa begin their Europa League campaign tonight as they host Bologna at Villa Park. The Villans are still without a win this season, having drawn three out of their five games in the Premier League. The Europa League gives Villa a chance to put things right and finally gain some confidence and momentum.
Team News
Aston Villa
- No updates on Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana
- Andrés García and Ross Barkley were pictured in training yesterday, though Barkley was not named in the Europa League squad
Bologna
- Tommaso Pobega and Ciro Immobile have returned to individual training, but are still unfit to make the squad
Aston Villa Overview
Villa's last result was a 1-1 draw away to Sunderland last Sunday. Despite the Black Cats being reduced to ten men for 70 minutes of the game, Villa failed to capitalise on their man advantage and didn't look threatening. Tactical tweaks are needed by Emery if they want to turn it around. Teams know exactly how Villa are going to set up and play with the ball, making it easy and predictable to defend against. An increase in intensity and energy is when Villa play at their best, but they are yet to show that this season.
Last year, Villa faced Bologna in the Champions League, beating them 2-0 at home. John McGinn and Jhon Duran were the goal scorers in that game, as Villa rather controlled the majority of the match. Emery's pedigree in European competitions and especially the Europa League, should help Villa massively in their bid to become champions. It's an aim and ambition for both supporters and players.
Predicted Lineup: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen, McGinn, Kamara, Guessand, Elliott, Rogers, Watkins
Bologna Overview
Bologna currently sit in 11th place in Serie A, on six points after four matches. Their two defeats have come against Roma and AC Milan, losing both 1-0 away from home. On Saturday they defeated Genoa 2-1 with a last minute penalty. Like Villa, they have somewhat struggled to score this season, with only three. Riccardo Orsolini and Santiago Castro are the ones to watch, as both of them have contributed to the goals in their campaign so far.
Last season, they finished in 9th, but qualified for the Europa League by winning the Coppa Italia.
Predicted Lineup: Skorupski, De Silvestri, Lucumi, Heggem, Miranda, Freuler, Moro, Orsolini, Bernardeschi, Cambiaghi, Castro
