Aston Villa beat Bologna (Screengrab) 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 game that could have gone a very different way but for Ollie Watkins’ clinical finish.Villa’s win was built on key moments at both ends of the game. Ezri Konsa put the visitors ahead 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 favorites to reach the last four, where they will face either FC Porto or Nottingham Forest, provided they get the job done in the second leg at Villa Park. Despite the defeat, Bologna remain in contention thanks to Jonathan Rowe’s late goal.Bologna entered the match in excellent form, having won their last seven away matches in all competitions, and started with intent. The home side came agonizingly 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 Konsa’s deflection resulted in the ball finding the back of the net. However, the celebrations were cut short after VAR ruled that Santiago Castro was marginally offside in the play-off.Moments later, Bologna continued to threaten, Rowe’s powerful drive down the left setting up Lewis Ferguson, whose effort hit the underside of the crossbar.But just when Bologna looked more dangerous, Villa struck the decisive blow. At the start of the half, Konsa rose sharply in the box, holding off Jhon Lucumí before heading home from Youri Tielemans’ corner. The goal, aided by a misjudgment by goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia, shifted the momentum firmly in Villa’s favour.Villa capitalized on that momentum at the start of the second half. Just five minutes after the restart, Watkins doubled the lead after Bologna defender Torbjorn Heggem carelessly gave the ball away in his own penalty area. The England striker stayed composed and slotted the ball through Ravaglio’s legs to make it 2-0.Despite the setback, Bologna refused to back down. Federico Bernardeschi came close to pulling away and hitting the outside of the post as the home side continued to press. 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 hit his second goal of the night to restore the two-goal cushion.Speaking after the match, Watkins emphasized 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 we felt we could always score more,” he said. “At this stage of the season I’m trying to go. I feel like I could play another 90 minutes, I’m hungry for what’s next.”Vila’s clinical edge proved to be the difference in the end. 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 take place in Birmingham, Villa now have one foot in the semi-finals and are well on their way to chasing their first major trophy in three decades while strengthening their pursuit of a top-five finish in the Premier League.
