Aston Villa made an impressive start to their Europa League quarter-final tie, winning 3-1 away at Bologna in the first leg. The match kicked off at 8pm BST, with live updates and reaction following the game as the teams met in Italy.
The players were out before kick-off, and the stadium DJ played what the live coverage described as the Unai Emery anthem, adding to the occasion ahead of the opening whistle.
Bologna entered the tie with one of their most important European performers in Federico Bernardeschi. Although he has only scored a couple of goals in Serie A for the club this season, he has been far more influential in the Europa League. Bernardeschi went into the match as Bologna’s leading scorer in the competition with five goals this campaign.
His contribution has already been central to Bologna’s run to the quarter-finals. In the last 16, he scored in both legs of their victory over Roma, underlining his importance on the continental stage even if his domestic numbers have been more modest.
For Aston Villa, the result gave them a strong platform in the tie. A two-goal advantage from the first leg puts them in a commanding position ahead of the return match, while Bologna are left with work to do if they are to overturn the deficit.
The live coverage also came amid interest elsewhere in the competition, including Porto’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest, which was being followed alongside the Villa game.
This first leg was part of a busy European night, but the focus in Bologna remained on whether the home side could challenge Villa’s early control of the quarter-final. Instead, Villa left with a valuable 3-1 victory and a strong chance of progressing to the semi-finals.
