Ollie Watkins’ 100th Villa goal sparks rout.
On the 10th anniversary of their embarrassing relegation from the Premier League being confirmed, Villa reached a semi-final for the third successive season.
It really has been quite the journey and the hope for supporters who have witnessed is the best may be yet to come.
Once again, their club is just a few wins from ending a 30-year trophy drought.
It is Nottingham Forest who stand in the way of Unai Emery and a sixth Europa League final, after a 7-1 aggregate quarter-final thrashing of Bologna which underlined why many consider his team competition favourites.
Already 3-1 up from last week’s first leg, Villa put the tie to bed in the first half on home turf, sparked by Ollie Watkins’ 100th goal for the club which broke the deadlock on the night in the 16th minute.
Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers, who had earlier seen a penalty saved, were also on the mark before the break as Bologna wilted under the home side’s pressure. Ezri Konsa then put the exclamation point on the victory with a goal right at the death after Villa had cruised through the second half.
Watkins took the headlines and quite rightly, as he became just the 12th player in Villa’s history to score 100 goals for the club and the first since Peter McParland in the 1960s.
The England international, who had also netted twice in the first leg, left the field to a standing ovation.
But Buendia, who played a key role in the opener, was also excellent while Rogers was rewarded for his persistence with a first goal since early February.
More than anything, this was an impressive team performance from Villa, who have now won five of their last seven matches and will host Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday brimming with confidence, as they hunt down a top-five finish.
Yet it is silverware which supporters most crave however and again it feels tantalisingly close.
It has been so, of course, in each of the last two campaigns, only for Villa to fall short, first against Olympiacos and then Crystal Palace in last year’s FA Cup.
Villa will start as favourites in the semi-final and the fact the second leg is at home, where they have now won 17 out of their last 19 European fixtures, will further raise fans’ confidence.
That brilliant home European record included two previous wins over Bologna, in last season’s Champions League and earlier this season in the Europa League.
Emery, as he had promised at Wednesday’s pre-match press conference, was taking no chances with his line-up, naming the same XI which started the previous week’s win in Italy.
After a big build-up which included an impressive fireworks display, the start to the match was scrappy, not helped by Spanish referee Jose Maria Sanchez’s apparent joy in blowing his whistle every 30 seconds.
Bologna’s Federico Bernardeschi had the first attempt of the night, a decent one from long-range which Emi Martinez, back fit and back in goal, couldn’t hold at the first attempt.
Yet when Villa finally got the chance to get the ball down and play, they quickly broke through.
Buendia was heavily involved in the build-up, his three touches including a neat backheel to Youri Tielemans before he played Rogers in on the left-hand side of the box. His low cross was tapped home by Watkins from four yards out. Rarely in his century of goals had there been a simpler finish.
Rogers almost doubled Villa’s lead within a minute but was denied by Federico Ravaglia’s diving save.
The keeper would then repeat the trick from the penalty spot, as Villa appeared to have squandered a golden chance to add more breathing space.
Digne’s cross flicked off Rogers and into the arm of Martin Vitik. Sanchez’s decision to award the spot-kick following a VAR monitor review felt harsh but Ravaglia appeared to have saved Bologna when he kept out Rogers’ penalty, diving low to his right.
Yet Villa’s frustration lasted mere seconds. From the resulting throw-in, Bologna’s defence switched off and Digne picked out an unmarked Buendia, who finished at the near post.
The visitors, without star defender Jhon Lucumi, looked vulnerable every time Villa attacked.
With six minutes remaining before half-time Rogers finally scored the goal he had been threatening, though it was courtesy of shaky keeping from Ravaglia.
Watkins held the ball up on the right and found McGinn, who played in Rogers on the left of the box. The low shot crept under the body of Bologna’s keeper and Villa’s cushion was now five goals.
Bologna boss Vincenzo Italiano made three changes at half-time but his team were already sunk.
Ravaglia made the only serious save of the second half from Lucas Digne with just 10 minutes remaining before Konsa, the man who had opened the scoring in Italy seven days previously, finished it for the tie two minutes from time.
Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Cash (Bogarde , Konsa, Torres, Digne, Tielemans (Luiz 74), Onana, McGinn (Bailey 64), Rogers (Sancho 74), Buendia, Watkins (Abraham 64) Subs not used: Lindelof, Mings, Elliott, Garcia, Maatsen, Bogarde, Wright (gk), Bizot (gk).
Bologna (4-3-3): Ravaglia, Mario (Zortea HT), Vitik, Casale (Heggem 82), Miranda, Moro, Freuler (Sohm HT), Ferguson, Bernardeschi (Orsolini HT), Castro (Odgaard 76), Rowe Subs not used: Pobega, Heggem, Lykogiannis, Cambiaghi, Castaldo, Pessina (gk), Franceschelli (gk).
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