Aston Villa took a commanding two-goal lead in their Europa League tie against Bologna, despite being second best for much of the match at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara. Ollie Watkins scored twice in the second half after Ezri Konsa's first-half opener, giving Villa a 3-1 victory to take back to Birmingham.
Bologna dominated possession early on, with Jonathan Rowe causing problems down the left. The hosts thought they had taken the lead in the 26th minute when Santiago Castro's shot bobbled over the line, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review. Villa capitalised on that reprieve just before half-time, when goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia missed a corner and Konsa stooped to score.
Watkins doubled the lead shortly after the restart, finishing coolly between Ravaglia's legs after Emí Buendía won the ball high up the pitch. Rowe pulled one back for Bologna in the 90th minute with a fine curling effort, but Villa responded immediately from a corner, with Watkins scoring at the far post to seal the win.
Villa manager Unai Emery admitted his side did not control the game as planned but praised their set-piece work. 'We didn't create good chances, and two or three times they might have deserved more. But we focused a lot on set pieces and we have an advantage there,' he said.
