LONDON – Aston Villa have one foot in the Europa League semi-finals after a hard-fought 3-1 quarter-final, first-leg win at Bologna on April 9, which could have had a very different complexion had it not been for the clinical Ollie Watkins.
Ezri Konsa’s header on the stroke of half-time and a brace from Watkins, who is playing for a place in England’s World Cup squad, kept Villa on course for a first major trophy since winning the League Cup 30 years ago.
Villa will face either Porto or fellow Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest in the last four should they see off the Italian side, who are still just about in the tie thanks to Jonathan Rowe’s fine late strike, in next week’s second leg in Birmingham.
Bologna have won their last seven matches away from home in all competitions. But Unai Emery has won the Europa League four times and his Villa team are big favourites to go through, following Watkins’ second goal just before the final whistle.
“Just before half-time is a great time to score. We got the second after half-time and then we felt we always were going to score more,” said Watkins to TNT Sports.
“Back end of the season I’m raring to go. I could play another 90 minutes. I’m excited for the next few games. I’m hungry.”
Villa have beaten Bologna three times in the last two seasons, including twice in this edition of the Europa League.
The English team were clinical in the way they beat a spirited Bologna, who probably deserved more from the game but gifted their opponents all three goals.
“If we want to take that step up then we can’t make these kinds of mistakes… Anything can happen (in the second leg), but tonight should teach us a lesson,” said Federico Bernardeschi to Sky.
Ollie Watkins scored his team’s third goal deep into stoppage time.
PHOTO: AFP
In Porto, William Gomes gave the hosts an 11th-minute lead with a tap-in from a low cross.
However, Forest levelled two minutes later when a misplaced back-pass from Martim Fernandes caught Diogo Costa off guard and rolled into the net despite the goalkeeper’s attempt to recover.
Porto player Martim Fernandes (right) reacts after scoring an own goal to level the score for Nottingham Forest.
PHOTO: EPA
Elsewhere, Freiburg beat Celta Vigo 3-0 at home with goals from Vincenzo Grifo, Jan-Niklas Beste and Matthias Ginter. Braga and Betis drew 1-1 in the other tie on April 8.
In the Conference League, Jean-Philippe Mateta inspired Crystal Palace to a 3-0 win over Fiorentina in their quarter-final, first leg on April 9.
The French forward, making his first Palace start since a proposed move to AC Milan collapsed in January, opened the scoring from the spot and Tyrick Mitchell netted the second after Mateta’s shot was blocked. Ismaila Sarr added a late third.
In the other ties, Shakhtar Donetsk beat AZ Alkmaar 3-0, Rayo Vallecano trumped AEK Athens by the same score and Mainz saw off Strasbourg 2-0. AFP, REUTERS