Skorupski saves a penalty, Castro hits the bar, but Bologna leaves England empty-handed
Bologna’s return to European competition ended in disappointment as Vincenzo Italiano’s side fell 1-0 to Aston Villa at Villa Park in their Europa League group stage opener.
The decisive moment came early in the match when John McGinn struck a precise finish in the 13th minute, capping a dominant start by the English side. Aston Villa’s aggressive pressing and high tempo troubled Bologna, who struggled to build from the back and were pinned in their own half for much of the opening period.
Goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski kept Bologna alive with several crucial saves, including a vital stop on Malen in the 19th minute and another brave intervention moments later. Bologna’s only real chance of the first half came in the 33rd minute when Federico Bernardeschi’s curling shot was easily handled by Bizot.
The second half saw a more adventurous Bologna, with Castro and Cambiaghi both coming close. The match nearly slipped away in the 68th minute when Zortea’s mistake led to a penalty for Aston Villa. Watkins stepped up but saw his spot-kick brilliantly saved by Skorupski, keeping Bologna’s hopes alive.
Just three minutes later, Bologna came agonizingly close to equalizing: substitute Orsolini delivered a perfect cross from the right, and Castro’s header smashed off the crossbar from close range.
In stoppage time, Bizot denied Bologna again, tipping Vitik’s header over the bar to preserve the win for the Premier League side.
It was a bitter defeat for Bologna, who showed resilience and improvement after the break but lacked precision in the final third.
Match Report
Scorer:
13’ McGinn (A)
Aston Villa (4-4-2): Bizot; Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Maatsen (74’ Digne); Guessand, Kamara, McGinn, Rogers; Malen (58’ Watkins), Buendia (58’ Sancho).
Coach: Unai Emery
Bologna (4-2-3-1): Skorupski; Zortea (70’ Holm), Vitik, Lucumì, Lykogiannis; Freuler, Ferguson; Bernardeschi (70’ Orsolini), Odgaard (83’ Fabbian), Cambiaghi (70’ Rowe); Castro (83’ Dallinga).
Coach: Vincenzo Italiano
Yellow Cards: Cash (A), McGinn (A), Lucumì (B)
Red Cards: None
Referee: Gil Manzano (Spain)
