Bologna vs Aston Villa: The Red and Blues face a stern test in their first major European quarter-final in over 25 years
by Thobelani Moyo | by Thobelani Moyo
The Red and Blues are proving to be a difficult side to beat in Europe
Jubilant scenes unfolded at Stadio Olimpico as Bologna ran out 4-3 winners against domestic rivals AS Roma after extra time in the return leg of the UEFA Europa League last 16. It was enough to see them progress to the next round thanks to a 4-5 aggregate success. Their appearance in the quarter-finals is historic, considering they had not made it this far in Europe over 25 years.
Putting the celebrations and historic milestones aside, attention now shifts to the challenge ahead. The Italian outfit faces Aston Villa in the first leg of the UEL quarter-finals. This matchup could turn out to be a daunting hurdle for Vincenzo Italiano's men, who have lost their last two European games against this opponent without scoring a single goal.
To make matters worse, their record against English opposition has left much to be desired, particularly in Europe. The past five encounters against teams from this bracket have produced four losses and one draw, underlining a worrying trend.
The Red and Blues, however, have momentum on their side and will be eager to use it as a springboard to overcome this difficult test. Since their 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in the first round of the league phase, they have gone 11 games without a defeat in this competition, notching seven wins and four draws. To further strengthen their case of coming out on top, their home record has been impressive, with just two losses in their last 33 European games (W19, D12).
History beckons for the Villans in their first last eight appearance in the Europa League
It has been said countless times, but it bears repeating: Aston Villa are being led by the most decorated head coach in this competition, Unai Emery, a four-time winner of the prestigious silverware. He heads to the first leg at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara to lead his side to victory, and nothing else.
Head coach Unai Emery has now guided the Villans to three consecutive European quarter-finals. He took them to the semi-final 2023-24 Conference League semi-finals and 2024-25 Champions League quarter-finals.
The Villans, who had a terrific run in last season's UEFA Champions League, reaching the quarter-finals, now find themselves at the same stage but this time in the UEFA Europa League. It is their first-ever appearance in the last eight of this competition. The English side finished second in the league phase standings, level on points (21pts) with Lyon, who secured the top spot.
Aston Villa made light work of French opposition Lille in the Round of 16. They won 1-0 in the first leg before a comfortable 2-0 home win in the return leg. That's nine wins in their last ten matches in the current edition. However, that's the tip of the iceberg for a side that has won 13 of their last 15 European games, while suffering two defeats against Olympiacos and Go Ahead Eagles.
Their immense consistency currently sees them on the brink of becoming the first English side to win eight straight games in a European competition, having won their last seven in a row.
Players to watch: Rowe's creativity to the rescue
The Englishman Jonathan Rowe has been terrific since joining Bologna from Marseille. Besides being a key asset, he has become essential to the club's attack. His numbers in Serie A are not that promising, having made a slow start to the season, with four goal contributions (two goals and two assists) in 21 appearances.
However, the left-winger has been impressive in the UEFA Europa League. The 23-year-old has been directly involved in five goals in his last six games in this tournament. He has scored three goals while providing two assists. For more insights into this match, head over to our Bologna vs Aston Villa prediction.
It's worth noting that he provided an assist in the first leg of the Round of 16 against AS Roma before scoring an opener and providing an assist in the return leg.
Jonathan Rowe's 2025-26 UEFA Europa League Stats:
- Appearances: 10
- Goals scored: 3 (0.28 avg. per match)
- Assists: 2 (0.19 avg. per match)
- Passing accuracy: 82.5%
- Minutes played: 527 (47.91 avg. per match)
- Total attempts: 15 (1.37 avg. per match)
- Top speed (km/h): 32.71 (30.82 avg. per match)
- Distance covered (km): 51.59 (4.37 avg. per match)
