Aston Villa are fighting to achieve targets on two fronts in the final furlong of the campaign.
Defeats in March against Chelsea and Manchester United have reinforced the faltering form of the Villans in the new year, and there were growing fears of failure to reach the Champions League through a top five place in the Premier League, a feat that narrowly eluded them last year.
However, their rivals have continued to stumble, and Villa have picked up four points in their last two league fixtures, defeating West Ham 2-0 and drawing 1-1 against Nottingham Forest. They are level on 55 points with the third placed Red Devils, who lost 2-1 to Leeds United on Monday evening, and as Chelsea suffered a 3-0 beatdown against Manchester City, the nerves have settled down a little.
Meanwhile, the expertise of Unai Emery is being deployed on his favourite stage: the Europa League. He has won the trophy four times in his career with Villarreal and Sevilla between 2014 and 2021, and he now hopes to end a 30-year trophy drought for the Villans by winning this major honour.
His men have only suffered one defeat in the tournament this campaign, a shock 2-1 loss to Go Ahead Eagles, and they remain one of the firm favourites to go all the way and take home the silverware.
Their latest opposition have been Bologna, who were on the wrong side of a 3-1 scoreline last week. The Rossoblu earned their place in the competition through a triumph in the Coppa Italia final over AC Milan in 2025, and they have a winning mentality that Emery expresses respect for. However, the Serie A side have struggled to get the better of their English opposition in their previous encounters.
Bologna were beaten 2-0 in the Champions League by Villa in October 2024, and they also lost 1-0 at Villa Park when the two teams met on the opening matchday of this Europa League campaign.
Italiano’s men managed to go unbeaten in their next 11 matches in the competition before the Villans were their undoing for the third time in 18 months. They have won all five fixtures in Europe since that result in September, but the odds are still stacked firmly against them in this second leg.
But expect them to go all in and leave their bodies on the line for this trip to the Midlands. This tournament is keeping their campaign alive: they are nine points adrift of sixth placed Roma, and qualification for the European places through their domestic division is unlikely to happen.
Team News
Aston Villa
Emiliano Martinez missed the match at the City Ground, pulling out of action just before kick-off with an injury. If he remains unavailable for this fixture, Marco Bizot should feature as his deputy.
Tyrone Mings is a doubt for this contest, so Pau Torres will expect to stay as the partner to Ezri Konsa in central defence. Matty Cash and Lucas Digne are nailed on as the first-choice fullbacks.
Youri Tielemans will join fellow Belgian Amadou Onana in the midfield since Boubacar Kamara continues to rehab from the knee injury he suffered against Tottenham in the FA Cup in January.
Jadon Sancho was also absent against the Rossoblu, but Villa are stacked for options off the striker. John McGinn, Morgan Rogers, Emiliano Buendia and Ian Maatsen may feature on the flanks.
Bologna
First choice shot stopper Lukasz Skorupski suffered a hamstring injury against Sassuolo in March, so Italiano is forced to rely on his backup options. Federico Ravaglia replaced the Pole in the first leg last week, while teenager Matteo Pessina played between the posts for the team against Lecce.
It is one in, one out for the Rossoblu in the centre of their defence as Jhon Lucumi is ruled out for this fixture with a suspension while Martin Vitik should partner with Torbjorn Heggem at the back.
Riccardo Orsolini, a historically talismanic figure for the side, ended a goal drought in Serie A against Lecce in that 2-0 victory. However, he is likely to start this showdown as a substitute.
Likely Line-ups
Aston Villa
Bizot; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins
Bologna
Ravaglia; Mario, Vitik, Heggem, Miranda; Moro, Freuler, Ferguson; Bernardeschi, Castro, Rowe
Key Players
Aston Villa – Youri Tielemans
Youri Tielemans continues to prove the value of the investment the Villans made in 2023.
Signed on a free transfer from relegated Leicester City, he has been doubted as a player in the Premier League due to a lack of running power in the engine room. But backed by the stable presence of Onana and Kamara over the years, he has excelled as a conductor in Emery’s system.
Few can rival Tielemans’ ability to put the ball when and where he wants to, and he displayed that strength in the first leg. His set-piece deliveries were on the money to find Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins from corner kicks, and these moments can make all the difference in cup competition.
Bologna – Jonathan Rowe
If Bologna are going to overcome the odds, they need their big money signing to shine.
Jonathan Rowe signed for a record fee of €19.5 million in the summer from Marseille. He has taken a little time to adapt to the demands of playing with the Rossoblu, having barely touched down to begin life in Ligue 1 on a permanent basis. However, the new year has seen the best of the player.
Rowe registered all four of his goals in European competition since the start of 2026, and he was the player who probed the most for the hosts in their defeat last week, hitting the back of the net in injury time to halve the deficit at the time. A livewire on that occasion, he has attempted and completed the most dribbles in the tournament, and he will put Cash through his paces at Villa Park on Thursday.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The game will take place at the home of Aston Villa, Villa Park.
What time is kick-off?
The kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 BST on Thursday, 16 April 2026.
How can I watch?
Footage for viewers in the UK will be broadcast live on TNT Sports.