Aston Villa faced off against Bologna at the Renato Dall’Ara Stadium earlier tonight as they hoped to secure a good result on the road in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarterfinal clash. The Villans made a solid start to the game and took the lead in the 44th minute when Ezri Konsa found the back of the net. Unai Emery’s men were leading 1-0 at the half-time break.
Ollie Watkins doubled his team’s advantage in the 51st minute. However, the home team got a goal back thanks to Jonathan Rowe’s goal in the 90th minute. Watkins scored again in injury time as Aston Villa earned an impressive 3-1 win away from home.
Let’s take a look at how each [Aston Villa](https://the4thofficial.net/category/leagues/english-premier-league/aston-villa/) player fared during the clash against Bologna.
**GK: Emiliano Martinez – 6.5/10**
He made a few solid saves at the back but failed to keep a clean sheet.
**RB: Matty Cash – 6.5/10**
Cash cleared his lines when he could, but offered very little going forward.
**CB: Ezri Konsa – 7/10**
He put his foot through the ball when needed and was tidy with his passing.
**CB: Pau Torres – 7/10**
Torres made two crucial clearances at the back and was a good presence on the ball.
BOLOGNA, ITALY – APRIL 09: Unai Emery, Manager of Aston Villa, reacts on the sidelines during the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Leg One match between Bologna FC 1909 and Aston Villa FC at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on April 09, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
**LB: Lucas Digne – 6.5/10**
He did his fair share of defending and won a couple of aerial duels.
**RM: John McGinn – 6.5/10**
McGinn worked hard but struggled to get a foothold in the game.
**CM: Amadou Onana – 7/10**
He anchored the midfield well but lacked quality in the final third.
**CM: Youri Tielemans – 8/10**
Tielemans earned the ball back twice and engineered some decent chances in the final third. He has got a couple of assists to show for his efforts.
**LM: Emi Buendia – 7.5/10**
He caught the eye at times on the left flank and ended the game with an assist to his name.
**ST: Morgan Rogers – 7/10**
Rogers caused some headaches for the opposition defenders, but didn’t do enough to register a goal.
**ST: Ollie Watkins – 8.5/10**
He caused a lot of headaches for his marker and managed to score twice in the second half to help his team earn the victory.
**Substitutes:**
**CM: Lamare Bogarde – 6/10**
He added some energy to Emery’s midfield.
**LB: Ian Maatsen – N/A**
**ST: Leon Bailey – N/A**