Aston Villa Secure First Europa League Win of the Season Against Bologna

Aston Villa finally celebrated their first victory of the season as captain John McGinn struck early to hand his side a tense 1-0 win over Bologna in their Europa League group opener.

Unai Emery’s men came into the match under pressure after a poor start to the campaign and the sudden departure of football operations president Monchi, who has been replaced by former Real Sociedad sporting director Roberto Olabe. While the win brings relief, the performance did little to ease concerns about the team’s form.

Villa’s breakthrough arrived in the opening stages when McGinn fired in from the edge of the box, repeating his scoring feat against the Italians after finding the net in last season’s Champions League. The hosts looked set to extend their lead, with Evann Guessand and Donyell Malen both denied by Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski.

However, Villa soon lost momentum, and Bologna, captained by Scotland international Lewis Ferguson, grew into the game. Federico Bernardeschi forced Marco Bizot into action shortly after the restart, before Ollie Watkins squandered a golden chance by missing a weak penalty midway through the second half.

The Italians came agonisingly close to an equaliser when Santiago Castro’s header struck the bar with 20 minutes remaining. In stoppage time, Martin Vitik also threatened to level, but Bizot produced a crucial save to secure the three points.

For Villa, the result ends their winless run and offers a much-needed boost, though Emery will know that sharper performances are required if they are to progress deep into the competition.