Aston Villa vs Bologna prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – League phase betting tips on match 2024-10-21 19:00.
[p]Aston Villa got back to winning ways in a chaotic 3-1 success away to Fulham, and now they’ll aim to use that as momentum to continue what’s been a great start to life back in Europe’s premier competition. The Villans have won both UEFA Champions League (UCL) matches, first downing Young Boys 3-0 and then defeating Bayern Munich 1-0 in a famous night at Villa Park, and another win here would equal their longest-winning run in the European Cup/UCL. [/p]
[p]The home side have picked up from where they left off last season in terms of form, suffering just one competitive defeat since the start of the season (W8, D2). Robust defensive displays have been a big factor behind that after conceding just one goal in their last three competitive outings, while another shutout here would make them the first UCL debutante since Leicester in 2016/17 to not concede in their opening three games. Â [/p]
[p]Bologna travel to England in a sticky spot having failed to win any of their previous four competitive matches (D3, L1), with the last seeing them draw 2-2 despite leading 2-0 up until the final 18 minutes at Genoa on Saturday. Frustrated manager Vincenzo Italiano claimed his side “really needed a win” following that draw. They’d love to do that here, yet two defeats in their previous two visits to England (Leeds in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1967 and Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League 2024) does highlight that history is firmly against them. [/p]
[p]The away side have failed to score in just two of their eight league games this season, although they’re potentially looking at a third successive European game without a goal, which would see them become the first side since Austria Vienna in 2013/14 to string together such a run. They have at least netted more than one goal in their past three domestic away games either side of losing to Liverpool (2-0), which should provide hope they can show more in front of goal. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Villa’s Morgan Rogers, who boasts more dribbles than any other player in the UCL ahead of the round (nine), scored against Fulham and now has lost just once in his last 12 goalscoring games. For Bologna, forward Santiago Castro has scored two goals in his last four away appearances, with both coming beyond the 75th minute. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Villa have opened the scoring in just one of their past seven competitive home games. [/p]
[p][i]Written by David H[/i][/p]