Bologna vs Aston Villa – Match preview and team news
Bologna vs Aston Villa – Match preview and team news Unai Emery and his Aston Villa squad return to continental action on Thursday as they visit the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara for a high-stakes quarter-final first leg. The Villans arrive in Italy fresh from a lengthy break following their 2–0 victory over West Ham United. While the hunt for a Premier League top-four finish remains intense, the Europa League offers a realistic path to silverware.
Emery, a four-time winner of this competition, looks to guide Villa to their first major continental trophy since the 1980s. Historically, the Birmingham side has held the upper hand in this fixture, winning both previous European meetings against the Rossoblu. Bologna enter their first major European quarter-final since 1999 with a point to prove against their English rivals.
Vincenzo Italiano’s men showed incredible grit to eliminate Roma in a 5–4 thriller during the previous round. Although they sit nine points adrift of the European spots in Serie A, their continental form has been historic. The Italian side is currently unbeaten in 11 European matches, with their only defeat in the last 15 coming against Villa.
Bologna vs Aston Villa – Match preview and team news Date: Thursday, 9 April 2026 Kick-off: 20:00 BST Venue: Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna Referee: Sandro Schärer (SUI) VAR: Fedayi San (SUI) Last Meeting: Aston Villa 1–0 Bologna (August 2025, UEL) Team news Aston Villa Unai Emery expects to have Youri Tielemans available for a starting role after several weeks on the sidelines. Crucially, captain John McGinn is back to full fitness and looks to become the first Villan to score 10 European goals. However, the visitors will be without Jadon Sancho, who suffered a shoulder injury during a recent friendly.
Boubacar Kamara remains injured, while Ross Barkley is ineligible for the knockout stages. Bologna Vincenzo Italiano manages a squad thinned by recent injuries and a defensive suspension for Martin Vitik. Federico Ravaglia continues to deputise in goal with Lukasz Skorupski still unavailable.