ASTON VILLA kick-start their Europa League campaign against Italian outfit Bologna at Villa Park on Thursday.
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Aston Villa vs Bologna preview
Aston Villa get their Europa League campaign underway at Villa Park on Thursday – and there’s no shortage of pressure on Unai Emery’s side.
Not my words, but those of the manager himself, who described his players as “lazy” following their 1–1 draw with Sunderland on Sunday.
Despite playing with a man advantage for over an hour and taking the lead, Villa failed to seal their first Premier League win of the season. They managed just two shots on target and finished the game with a lower xG than their newly promoted opponents – a result that leaves them in the bottom three after five matches.
It’s been a poor start across the board. Villa have scored just one Premier League goal – the fewest in the division – crashed out of the Carabao Cup on penalties to Brentford, and currently hold the lowest xG in the top flight (3.85).
Still, if there’s one man equipped to turn things around on the European stage, it’s Unai Emery – the most successful manager in Europa League history. He’ll hope a night under the lights can finally ignite his team and help prevent what’s quickly becoming an early-season crisis.
There-s also reason for optimism. Villa beat Bologna 2–0 in last season’s Champions League group stage, with John McGinn and Jhon Duran getting on the scoresheet.
As for Bologna, their start to the Serie A season has been somewhat inconsistent – which isn’t entirely unexpected following the summer departures of key players Dan Ndoye and Sam Beukema.
Vincenzo Italiano’s side have registered two wins and two defeats from their opening four league matches. Crucially for Villa, both losses came away from home, and they failed to score in either.
Aston Villa vs Bologna preview betting odds
Aston Villa 3/4 with William Hill – CLAIM HERE
Draw 5/2 with Midnite – CLAIM HERE
Bologna 15/4 with BetMGM – CLAIM HERE
Odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.
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Aston Villa vs Bologna preview betting tips and predictions
Slow…
It’s hard to make a convincing case for goals on Thursday night.
As mentioned, Aston Villa have scored just two goals in six competitive matches this season and currently sit bottom of the Premier League xG charts with a total of just 3.85.
Their opponents aren’t exactly prolific either. Three of Bologna’s four Serie A games so far have produced just a single goal, and they’ve scored only twice from open play. They also rank fifth-lowest in Serie A for expected goals (xG).
Adding to the case for a low-scoring contest, Bologna haven’t conceded more than once in any of their matches this season, while Villa have only let in more than one goal once across their six outings.
Under 1.5 Goals at 23/10 with William Hill – CLAIM HERE
First goalscorer and correct score predictions
Aston Villa vs Bologna
First goalscorer: Ollie Watkins at 4/1 with Midnite – CLAIM HERE
Correct score: 1-0 at 11/2 with Betfred – CLAIM HERE
Goalscorer
If Aston Villa are to grind out a narrow win on Thursday, there’s every chance Ollie Watkins will be the difference-maker – and he’s 11/8 to score anytime with William Hill.
The 29-year-old is still searching for his first goal of the season, but the underlying numbers suggest it’s coming. Watkins leads Villa in touches in the penalty area, total attempts, big chances, and shots on target – and his xG is more than double that of any other player in the squad.
Ollie Watkins to score at 11/8 with William Hill – CLAIM HERE
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