October 23, (THEWILL) – Aston Villa maintained their perfect start to UEFA Champions League football with a commanding 2-0 victory over Bologna at Villa Park on Wednesday evening. The triumph places them at the summit of their group with nine points from three matches.
John McGinn opened the scoring in the 55th minute with a well-executed free-kick that evaded everyone in the penalty area before finding the bottom corner. Jhon Duran doubled the advantage shortly after, converting Morgan Rogers’ cross with precision at the near post, maintaining his impressive scoring record this season.
The match represented another significant milestone in Unai Emery’s successful tenure at the Birmingham club. Despite making four changes to his starting lineup, including returns for McGinn and Ezri Konsa from injury, Villa displayed their tactical superiority throughout the encounter. The introduction of £35-million acquisition Ian Maatsen at left-back further demonstrated the squad’s depth.
Bologna, who qualified for the UCL following their fifth-place finish in Serie A last season, presented minimal threat to the hosts. The Italian side’s difficulties continued, having collected just one point from their opening three European fixtures. Their challenges have intensified following the departures of key personnel Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee to Arsenal and Manchester United respectively.
The result extends Villa’s remarkable European campaign, marking their most successful period in continental competition since their European Cup triumph in 1982. Under Emery’s guidance, the team continues to exceed expectations, establishing themselves among Europe’s elite clubs while maintaining their impressive domestic form.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
