Bologna vs. Aston Villa: Unai Emery’s side bidding to extend 32-year streak in Europa League quarter-final tie

Aston Villa will be attempting to extend a 32-year streak when they face Bologna in the Europa League quarter-finals.

After a break in competitive action since March 21, Villa make the trip to Italy for the first leg against the Serie A outfit on Thursday evening.

Unai Emery‘s side are currently on a two-match winning streak after victories over Lille and West Ham United respectively.

However, despite Premier League clubs being provided with a huge boost with regards to European qualification, Villa remain under pressure to deliver on both the domestic and continental front.

When Villa take on familiar foes in Bologna over the coming week, they will be hoping to extend a run that has lasted since 1994.

What streak can Aston Villa extend against Bologna?

Thursday’s match will represent the third time since the start of 2024-25 that Villa have faced Bologna.

As well as prevailing 2-0 in last season’s Champions League, Villa were able to emerge victorious by a 1-0 scoreline in the League Phase of this campaign’s Europa League.

Villa have now kept four successive clean sheets in competitive encounters against Italian opponents, not conceding since a Dennis Bergkamp goal for Inter Milan in 1994.

This is Villa’s third European quarter-final in successive years, having played Lille in the 2023-24 Conference League and Paris Saint-Germain in the 2024-25 Champions League.

From Bologna’s perspective, they have not reached this stage of a European competition since beating Lyon in the 1998-99 UEFA Cup.

Nevertheless, Bologna have remarkably put together an 11-match unbeaten streak in Europe since losing to Aston Villa in September.

Their opponents during that time were Freiburg, FCSB, Brann (three times), Red Bull Salzburg, Celta Vigo, Celtic, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Roma (twice).

Vincenzo Italiano’s side are six matches unbeaten in home European fixtures, but they have suffered eight defeats in 15 games at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in Serie A.

Former Championship player starring at Bologna

Norwich City academy graduate Jonathan Rowe is currently impressing at Bologna.

The 22-year-old has contributed two goals and three assists across his last five appearances in all competitions.