Aston Villa took a major step towards the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League with an impressive 3-1 away victory over Bologna FC 1909, ending the hosts’ 20-game unbeaten home run in the competition.

Competing in a European quarter-final for the third consecutive season, Villa endured a testing evening in Bologna and did not have things all their own way early on, gradually settling into the match rather than asserting immediate control.

The hosts grew into the game and began to build momentum, with Jonathan Rowe heavily involved in their attacking phases.

Bologna thought they had taken the lead in the 26th minute when Rowe drove forward and set up Santiago Castro, whose deflected first-time effort looped over Emiliano Martínez and crossed the line. However, VAR intervened to rule the goal out for offside, denying the Italian side a breakthrough.

Undeterred, he soon provided captain Lewis Ferguson with a superb outside-of-the-boot delivery, which was agonisingly diverted onto the underside of the crossbar.

Aston Villa gradually began to respond to the pressure, taking notice of the warning signs. They started to pose more of an attacking threat, with John McGinn curling a shot narrowly wide of the near post.

With half-time approaching, Federico Ravaglia—standing in for the injured Lukáš Skorupski—misjudged the flight of a Aston Villa corner from Youri Tielemans, allowing Ezri Konsa to head home his first goal of the season into an unguarded net.

That moment swung the momentum firmly in Villa’s favour, and they struck again soon after the restart. Emiliano Buendía pressed Torbjørn Lysaker Heggem into a costly mistake in his own defensive third, with Ollie Watkins pouncing immediately to slot a composed finish through Federico Ravaglia’s legs.

Bologna’s spell of early dominance had now faded as Villa took control of the contest, increasingly looking the more likely side to add a third goal.

However, the hosts responded with late pressure and eventually reduced the deficit, as Jonathan Rowe—after a lively performance—finally got his reward. He cut inside and produced a well-taken finish beyond Emiliano Martínez to bring the home side back into the match.

A stoppage-time header from Ollie Watkins restored Aston Villa’s two-goal cushion, leaving the Rossoblù with a difficult task heading into the second leg in England. The defeat also ended their 11-match unbeaten run in the UEFA Europa League (W7, D4).

For Villa, the result extended their impressive European form, with Unai Emery’s side now recording eight consecutive victories in the competition. They have also won four of their last five matches across all competitions, as they look to build momentum at a crucial stage of the season.