Aston Villa moved a step closer to the Europa League semi-finals with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Bologna on Thursday night, in a contest that could have taken a very different turn had it not been for Ollie Watkins’ clinical finish.Villa’s win came at key moments at both ends of the match. Ezeri Konsa gave the visitors the lead just before half-time, while Watkins struck twice, once early in the second half and again in stoppage time, to put Unai Emery’s side firmly in control of the tie. The result leaves Villa strong favorites to progress to the last four, where they will face either FC Porto or Nottingham Forest, provided they complete the second leg at Villa Park. Despite the defeat, Bologna remained in contention thanks to a late goal from Jonathan Rowe.Bologna entered the match in excellent form, having won their last seven away games in all competitions, and they started with intent. The hosts came close to taking the lead on several occasions, hitting the woodwork twice during a dominant first-half spell. They even thought they had gone ahead in the 26th minute when Consa’s deflection resulted in the ball finding the net. However, the celebration was cut short after VAR ruled that Santiago Castro was slightly offside in the build-up.Moments later, Bologna continued to threaten, with Rui’s spirited run setting up Lewis Ferguson on the left, whose effort hit the underside of the crossbar.But as Bologna looked the more dangerous side, Villa struck the decisive blow. On the stroke of half-time, Konsa increased strongly in the box, stopping John Lucomi before heading home a corner by Uri Tielemans. The goal swung the momentum firmly in Villa’s favor thanks to a poor decision by goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia.Villa capitalized on that momentum early in the second half. Just five minutes after the restart, Watkins doubled the lead after Bologna defender Torbjorn Heigm was carelessly handed over inside his own penalty area. The England striker produced the ball through Ravaglia’s legs to make it 2-0.Despite the setback, Bologna refused to back down. Federico Bernardeschi came close to pulling one back, hitting the outside of the post as the hosts continued to press forward. Their persistence was finally rewarded in the 90th minute when Roe produced a superb performance to give Bologna a lifeline and rekindle their hopes of a return to the second leg.However, any momentum the hosts gained was quickly extinguished. Deep into stoppage time, Villa struck again from a set-piece, with Watkins left completely unmarked to grab his second goal of the night and restore the two-goal cushion.Speaking after the match, Watkins highlighted the importance of timing in Villa’s goal. He said that the best time to score is right before half time. We had a second chance after half-time and felt we could always score more. “At this stage of the season, I’m raring to go. I think I can play another 90 minutes, I’m hungry for what’s next.”Villa’s clinical edge ultimately proved to be the difference. While Bologna created chances and showed attacking intent, their failure to convert, and costly defensive errors allowed Emery’s experienced side to dominate the tie. With the second leg to be played in Birmingham, Villa are now one step away from the semi-finals and are looking to strengthen their push for a top-five finish as well as chasing their first major trophy in three decades. Premier League.
