Current Europa League favourites Aston Villa continue their campaign with a tricky-looking quarter-final tie against Bologna.
Unai Emery is the unquestionable master of this competition, and the quality of player available to him sees his side priced at just 2.75 to win the whole thing.
But as we all know, European knockout football can be a cruel mistress, and Bologna are certainly not a team to be underestimated in any shape or form.
Below, we have previewed this exciting first leg in Italy on Thursday evening, picking out some more online betting tips based on the latest Europa League odds.
Bologna vs Aston Villa Preview
Bologna travelled to Villa Park in the League Phase of this competition, losing 1-0 to a fantastic strike from John McGinn.
So the Italian side are out for revenge here, and qualified for this stage by beating domestic rivals AS Roma 5-4 on aggregate in the last 16.
But inconsistency has certainly plagued Bologna in recent times. Last weekend’s 2-1 win at Cremonense in Serie A was preceded by a 2-0 home defeat vs Lazio.
Interestingly, Bologna failed to win any of their last three home matches across all competitions following the 1-1 draw with Roma and 2-1 defeat to Verona.
As such, Villa will fancy their chances of securing a vital first-leg lead here – and Emery’s men arrive in decent form.
The Premier League outfit tallied back-to-back 2-0 wins before the international break, Lille and West Ham the two teams to suffer at the hands of the Villans.
And Villa’s away form in the Europa League has been pretty good of late, the previous two trips seeing them record 1-0 wins at Lille and Fenerbahce.
Bologna vs Aston Villa Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Aston Villa are slight favourites to claim a vital first-leg win here, priced at 2.40. A victory for Bologna is at odds of 3.05, while the draw is 3.30.
Bologna vs Aston Villa Betting Tips
Anytime goalscorer – John McGinn @ 5.95
A bit of a rogue shout here, given McGinn is more of a traditional centre midfielder. However, the Scotsman scored in each of Villa’s last two games, and is certainly not afraid to shoot from distance with his left foot – as proven in the previous game vs Bologna. At such a good price, a small stake on this selection could be well worth your time.
Total goals – Under 2.5 @ 1.79
But while we are tipping a scorer, we also do not expect this fixture to be an Italian goal-fest. Under 2.5 landed in three of Villa’s last four matches, including both last-16 legs vs Lille. Furthermore, the selection was also a winner in Bologna’s previous two home games across all competitions.
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