Aston Villa vs Bologna: Betting Odds and Prediction for the Champions League match
Aston Villa will host Bologna in the third round of the Champions League. The match will take place on Tuesday, October 22. Can Emery maintain a perfect record with the Villans aiming to become the third team in history to win their first three Champions League matches without conceding a goal? Find out about the teams' chances, odds, and the best betting options in our preview.
Aston Villa vs Bologna: Who Will Win?
Aston Villa pre-match analysis
The hosts are the clear favorites. They comfortably defeated Young Boys away (3-0) and, against the odds, silenced the mighty Bayern Munich at home (1-0). Unai Emery, often seen as a Europa League specialist, has actually secured 25 wins in the Champions League. Only five Spanish managers have reached that milestone.
Aston Villa vs Bologna stats in Champions League 24/25
|
Aston Villa |
|
Bologna |
|
4 |
Goals |
0 |
|
2 |
Avg Goals |
0 |
|
45.5 |
Possession % |
48 |
|
26 |
Dribbles |
24 |
Leaders back in action
The Villans are unbeaten in nine straight games, firmly holding fourth place in the Premier League and winning both of their Champions League matches so far. Moreover, they seem to have overcome the injury crisis that hit the squad this season.
Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings have returned after long knee injuries, while captain John McGinn made a comeback from a hamstring problem over the weekend. In-form Morgan Rogers, who scored again on Saturday, has become nearly undroppable, leading the Champions League with nine dribbles, five of them against Bayern Munich. Emery may rotate his lineup, but Ollie Watkins is likely to start, with Jhon Duran staying on the bench. Watkins also scored in the last match, securing his place in the Premier League's top five scorers with 5 goals.
The Lions attack at the end
Unai Emery’s team, known for their technical ability, speed, and adaptability, hasn’t always found quick solutions to break down opponents this season. They also don’t rush to dominate possession, often playing more cautiously. Interestingly, in the Champions League, the underdog Bologna have had more possession than Birmingham’s side.
Aston Villa have scored a quarter of their Premier League goals in the last 15 minutes of matches, and in the Champions League, half of their goals have come in this period. Meanwhile, Bologna recently lost their lead against Genoa, conceding several goals in the last 20 minutes.
Bologna pre-match analysis
Bologna is undoubtedly a tough team, known for drawing games this season, but that doesn’t inspire much optimism given their other stats. They sit 13th in Serie A with just one point in the Champions League. It’s clear that the departure of Thiago Motta has taken its toll. New coach Vincenzo Italiano has only won one of his last ten matches.
Goals are not Bologna’s strong suit
Their attack is in crisis. With just 9 goals in Serie A, only 7 teams have scored fewer. In the Champions League, Bologna has a big zero. If they fail to score in a third consecutive match, they’ll set a new negative record—the last team to do so was Austria Vienna in 2013.
Injuries also support the likelihood of a few goals from Bologna. They hope to recover key players like Dan Ndoye, Michel Aebischer, Samuel Iling-Junior, and Martin Erlic, but with Nicolo Cambiaghi, Oussama El Azzouzi, and Lewis Ferguson out, and only Ferguson back in training, Vincenzo Italiano faces limited attacking options.
Toughness might turn into roughness
Neither team is particularly aggressive, both sitting mid-table in terms of yellow cards. However, each of Bologna’s matches has seen six yellow cards. Midfielder Remo Freuler is particularly card-prone, averaging a foul every 90 minutes and already picking up two yellows this season.
Prediction
It seems Italiano’s plan is clear: his team will fight for a draw. Since the end of August, Rossoblu have lost just one game and have racked up seven draws this season, seemingly making this their style of play. Last season, only one team in Europe’s top five leagues had more draws—fellow Italians Juventus.
Historically, Aston Villa have performed well at home against Italian teams, winning their last two matches. Considering the red-hot form of The Villans in both the Premier League and Champions League, a loss seems unlikely. However, don’t expect a goal fest, as Bologna’s matches this season average just one goal.
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