Key Takeaways
- Ollie Watkins scored his 10th European goal for Aston Villa, a new club record.
- Villa beat Bologna 7-1 on aggregate to reach an all-English Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
- Morgan Rogers missed a penalty but still added a goal before half-time.
Aston Villa are through to the Europa League semi-finals after a calm 4-0 home win over Bologna sealed a 7-1 aggregate rout.
England striker Ollie Watkins opened the scoring in the 16th minute, poking in Morgan Rogers’ low cross for his 10th strike in continental football. That tally is now the best by any Villa player in Europe.
Rogers, still looking for his first goal since February, won a spot-kick when his header struck a defender’s arm, but Bologna keeper Federico Ravaglia saved the 23-year-old’s effort. The winger shrugged off the miss and soon smashed home Villa’s third after Emiliano Buendía had curled in the second.
Centre-back Ezri Konsa, who netted the opener in Italy last week, completed the rout late on, volleying in after Tammy Abraham nodded down a corner.
Manager Unai Emery praised Watkins. “Today was special for him,” the Spaniard said. “We need his goals, but others must chip in too.”
Villa will face Nottingham Forest in the last four, with the first leg at the City Ground on 30 April and the return in Birmingham seven days later. It is the first European semi-final between two English sides since Arsenal met Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League.
The comfortable evening also allowed Emery to rest minds ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Sunderland. Villa sit seven points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea as they chase a Champions League place.
Villa have now won 16 of their last 18 home games in Europe and remain unbeaten on their own pitch in this season’s Europa League.