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Unai Emery’s Aston Villa continued their magnificent start to the 2024/25 season at the weekend and they are now searching for three successive UEFA Champions League victories as they welcome Bologna to Villa Park this week.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Tuesday 22nd October, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – discovery+ / US – Paramount+
ASTON VILLA PREVIEW: VILLA ON THE CHARGE
In their opening 11 matches across all competitions so far this season, Aston Villa have suffered just one defeat and that came against Arsenal in unfortunate circumstances in what was a generally even contest in mid-August. The Villains defeated Fulham by three goals to one at Craven Cottage at the weekend.
Unai Emery’s side began their UEFA Champions League campaign with an impressive 3-0 hammering of Young Boys in Berne in mid-September before then pulling off a famous win a few weeks ago as Jhon Duran scored a second-half stunner to give Villa a 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich at Villa Park.
BOLOGNA PREVIEW: IFFY BOLOGNA
Last season Thiago Motta led Bologna to their first UEFA Champions League qualification for the first time in over 60 years and he departed for Juventus over the summer with him being replaced by former Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Italiano. The visitors have struggled at the start of this season in both Serie A and the UEFA Champions League.
They have managed just one victory in ten matches across all competitions so far this season with just one point collected from their opening two UEFA Champions League matches against Liverpool and Shakhtar Donetsk. They most recently shared a 2-2 draw with struggling Genoa at the weekend.
ASTON VILLA TEAM NEWS: EVERYONE BACK
The likes of Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey have returned from long and short term injury issues to be fit and available for the visit of Bologna.
England international defender Tyrone Mings has been out for around 12 or so months with an ACL injury but he is regaining fitness and edging closer to a return to the pitch.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Philogene, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins
UNAVAILABLE: Olsen (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Mings (Fitness)
BOLOGNA TEAM NEWS: FURTHER INJURIES
Scotland international Lewis Ferguson has been out with an ACL injury for quite some time but Bologna now have several other key first-teamers on the sidelines, too.
Martin Erlic has suffered a hamstring injury with Switzerland midfielder Michel Aebischer also out injured alongside former Juventus winger Samuel Iling-Junior.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Ravaglia; Posch, Beukema, Casale, Miranda; Moro, Freuler; Orsolini, Odgaard, Dominguez; Castro
UNAVAILABLE: Erlic (Injured), Aebischer (Injured), Ferguson (Injured), Iling-Junior (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: El Azzouzi (Injured), Ndoye (Injured)
KEY STATS
ASTON VILLA VS BOLOGNA PREDICTION
Unai Emery is one of the best managers in European football and he has made a name for himself in European competition, winning four UEFA Europa League trophies with Sevilla and Villarreal, reaching another UEFA Europa League final with Arsenal and the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa Conference League with Villarreal and Aston Villa respectively. Bologna haven’t been awful this season and have perhaps been difficult to beat but it has been an underwhelming campaign with Villa the firm favourites for this one, especially with their home advantage.
ASTON VILLA VS BOLOGNA TIP: ASTON VILLA TO WIN