BirminghamLive provides comprehensive coverage of Aston Villa’s Champions League match against Bologna at Villa Park.
Aston Villa Aims for Third Straight Champions League Win Against Bologna
Aston Villa is set to pursue its third consecutive Champions League victory this evening as they host Bologna at Villa Park with an 8 PM kick-off.
Having secured wins against BSC Young Boys and Bayern Munich in earlier matches, Villa has a significant opportunity to advance towards knockout qualification. In contrast, Bologna has struggled this season, winning only one of their first ten matches across all competitions. They currently sit with just one point in the league phase, having drawn with Shakhtar and lost to Liverpool.
Villa enters this match on a high after a convincing 3-1 win over Fulham, while Bologna comes off a disappointing 2-2 draw against Genoa, having squandered a two-goal lead late in the game.
This match marks Villa’s first encounter with an Italian club since September 1994, when they faced Inter Milan in the UEFA Cup. Villa managed to progress past Inter that year after a penalty shootout, showcasing their resilience against Serie A teams.
Bologna, making its Champions League debut, is the 11th Italian club to participate in the tournament, and the first new entrant since Atalanta in the 2019/20 season. The team has experienced significant changes, including the departure of their manager and key players like Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee.
As both teams look to improve their standings, tonight’s match promises to be pivotal for Villa’s ambitions in the competition.
