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Bologna have only lost two of their 13 matches in the Europa League this season, and both of those defeats have come at the hands of Aston Villa.

The first ended 1-0 in the league phase back in September, before Unai Emery's side went to the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium last week and secured a commanding 3-1 victory to put them in an excellent position heading into the second leg. It was a clinical display from Villa, who had just 42% possession, but they were efficient on the break and able to carve through the hosts. 

Bologna will have to be front-footed to have any chance of mounting a comeback, but that should play directly into Villa's hands - Emery's troops are so effective at exploiting space in midfield, which should open up as Bologna commit bodies forward. Ollie Watkins bagged a brace in the first leg, and he will hope to add to his European tally on Thursday night.

Aston Villa come into this second leg with a comfortable two-goal lead after their clinical performance in the first leg in Bologna.

Aston Villa had just 42% possession at the Renato Dall’Ara Stadium, but when they did have the ball, they made it count. Aston Villa recorded just eight shots worth 1.57 xG, highlighting how their chances were of a high-quality nature. 

In return, Bologna racked up 19 shots, but they were only worth 0.85 xG - they struggled to break down their opponents, and it could be a tough night for them here at Villa Park again. The hosts have no reason to change the winning formula - they are likely to sit in again and play on the counter. 

Villa are so dangerous when there is space to exploit in transition, and that space should open up even further in this second leg as Bologna commit bodies into their attacks. 

Bologna will have to be aggressive and bring the intensity from the opening minute at Villa Park, given the context of the tie. They committed 19 fouls in the first leg, which translated to two yellow cards.

Bologna also landed this bet in both legs against Roma in the previous round - they recorded three yellows in the first leg at home, and another three in the second leg at the Stadio Olimpico. The Rossoblu added a further two cards to their tally in extra-time, as Remo Freuler and Lewis Ferguson were both carded. 

Aston Villa can be a frustrating side to face, and they rank top of the charts for total fouls drawn in the Premier League this season, which has translated to the most opposition yellow cards. Bologna also picked up two cards at Villa Park when these sides met in the league phase back in September.

The majority of Bologna’s success last week came through their left flank, and Jonathan Rowe put in a standout performance. The winger registered six shots, of which two hit the target, and he found the back of the net late on in the game.

In addition, he created a big chance that Lewis Ferguson missed, striking the crossbar. Pretty much all of Bologna’s noteworthy attacks came through Rowe, and he should be looking forward to this matchup once again. 

The Englishman has only scored seven goals in 37 appearances across all competitions this season, but four of those have come in his last seven starts. He scored and landed this selection in the previous Europa League round against Roma, which shows that Rowe can be relied upon in the big games, and he is able to cause problems for the top sides.

Sandro Scharer only handed out three cards in the first leg between these sides, and Tommaso Pobega accounted for one yellow before he was replaced after 67 minutes. The Swiss referee was quite lenient in the end, as there were a total of 34 fouls in the match, with 19 committed by the hosts, Bologna. 

Pobega was given a tough time in midfield, and he was only successful in one of his six duels - he racked up four fouls, and had to be substituted early with a sending off looking likely. Pobega is averaging 2.1 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, and has shown a tendency to be quite rash in his challenges. 

His job looks set to only get tougher for the return fixture - Aston Villa rank top of the Premier League charts for total fouls drawn this season, and they play with more confidence at Villa Park.