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 the clinical finishing of Ollie Watkins.Villa’s win was built on key moments at either end of the match. Ezri Konsa gave the visitors the lead just before half-time, while Watkins struck twice, once early in the second half and again deep into stoppage time, to put Unai Emery’s side firmly in control of the tie. The result leaves Villa strong favourites to progress to the last four, where they will face either FC Porto or Nottingham Forest, provided they complete the job in the second leg at Villa Park. Despite the defeat, Bologna remain 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 began with intent. The hosts came agonisingly close to taking the lead on multiple occasions, striking the woodwork twice during a dominant first-half spell. They even thought they had gone ahead in the 26th minute when a deflection involving Konsa resulted in the ball finding the net. However, celebrations were cut short after VAR ruled that Santiago Castro had been marginally offside in the build-up.Moments later, Bologna continued to threaten, with Rowe’s energetic run down the left setting up Lewis Ferguson, whose effort crashed against the underside of the crossbar.But just as Bologna looked the more dangerous side, Villa struck a decisive blow. On the stroke of half-time, Konsa rose strongly in the box, holding off Jhon Lucumí before heading home from a corner delivered by Youri Tielemans. The goal, aided by a misjudgement from goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia, shifted the momentum firmly in Villa’s favour.Villa capitalised on that momentum early in the second half. Just five minutes after the restart, Watkins doubled the lead after Bologna defender Torbjorn Heggem carelessly gave away possession inside his own penalty area. The England striker remained composed, slotting 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, striking the outside of the post as the hosts continued to press forward. Their persistence was finally rewarded in the 90th minute when Rowe produced a fine finish to give Bologna a lifeline and spark hopes of a comeback in 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 tap home 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 goals. “Just before half-time is a great time to score. We got the second after half-time and then felt we could always score more,” he said. “At this stage of the season, I’m raring to go. I feel like I could 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 inability to convert, and costly defensive errors, allowed Emery’s experienced side to take control of the tie. With the second leg set to be played in Birmingham, Villa now have one foot in the semi-finals and are firmly on course to chase their first major trophy in three decades, as well as strengthen their push for a top-five finish in the Premier League.
