Unai Emery expressed his thoughts on a 3-1 victory for Aston Villa against Bologna.
The Villans have beaten the Serie A side twice in the last 18 months: 2-0 in the Champions League in October 2024 and 1-0 on the opening matchday of this Europa League campaign in September 2025. But both times, Villa were on home soil, and the trip to Italy would be a difficult duel.
Ezri Konsa gave the guests the lead after they soaked up pressure in the first half, then Ollie Watkins doubled the lead in the 51st minute when Villa picked off their opponents with a high press. Jonathan Rowewas rewarded for his efforts with a strike at the end of the half, but Watkins delivered for a second time, bagging his brace in injury time as he connected with a Youri Tielemans corner.
‘The round is not over’
“It’s a fantastic result, and our supporters were fantastic. There were 2,500 supporters here with us and we were feeling them supporting us, following us and helping us. Our responsibility is to try and get a good result through playing well and maybe we got a good result and didn’t play very well, in the first half especially.
“In the second half we had a fantastic 30 minutes. The match is not over, and the second leg is going to be important in Villa Park, extending the 90 minutes we played here achieving a fantastic result.
“They are a team who were winning against Roma and it’s a team that is so, so competitive. They will not be giving up.
“We’re going to respect them at Villa Park. I want to enjoy the momentum with our supporters. It’s about the game in Villa Park with our supporters. We need them, supporting, helping and keeping balance. The round is not over, even with this result we have: 3-1. We must be respectful and play the second leg.”