Aston Villa vs. Bologna: Europa League Opener Kicks Off at Villa Park
Aston Villa begin their Europa League campaign tonight, hosting Serie A side Bologna at Villa Park with a 20:00 BST kickoff. unai emery has named a starting XI showing four changes from the recent 1-1 draw against Sunderland, seeking to end a five-game winless run across all competitions.
This marks Aston Villa’s return to European competition after a 13-year absence, aiming to translate their Premier League form onto the continental stage.Bologna, meanwhile, arrive buoyed by a 2-1 victory over Genoa, looking to make their mark in the Europa League group stage under the captaincy of Lewis Ferguson. A win for either side sets an early tone in Group E, with both teams eager to secure valuable points.
Emery’s lineup features marco Bizot in goal, alongside defenders Ian Maatsen and Pau Torres. Upfront, Donyell Malen joins the attack. Notably, goalkeeper emi Martinez is absent from the bench.
Aston Villa XI: Bizot, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, McGinn, Guessand, Rogers, Buendia, Malen.
Substitutes: Proctor, Oakley, Linelof, Mings, Elliott, Watkins, Digne, Garcia, Sancho, Bogarde, Burrowes.
Bologna have also made alterations from their weekend win, with Torbjorn Heggem, Riccardo Orsolini, Juan Miranda, Lorenzo De Silvestri, and Benjamin Dominguez all dropping to the bench. Jhon Lucumi, Charalampos Lykogiannis, Nadir Zortea, Jens Odgaard, and Lewis Ferguson are among those stepping into the starting lineup.
Bologna XI: Skorupski, Zortea, Vitik, Lucumi, Lykogiannis, Ferguson, Freuler, Odgaard, Castro, Bernardeschi, Cambiaghi.
Substitutes: Pessina, Ravaglia, Holm, Moro, Rowe, Orsolini, Heggem, Dallinga, Miranda, Fabbian.
