Aston Villa host Bologna in the second leg with a solid 3:1 advantage, putting the English side in a very strong position to progress.
Prediction: BTTS - Yes
Bologna must attack, while Villa’s strong home form suggests both teams will find the net.
Aston Villa have been dominant in this competition, winning 10 of their 11 matches and all of their home games so far. The 3:1 away victory in the first leg gives them a comfortable cushion, but with Unai Emery’s experience in European competitions, complacency is unlikely. Villa are expected to remain competitive and dangerous, especially at home where they consistently score goals.
Bologna face a difficult task and must take risks if they want any chance of overturning the deficit. Encouragingly, they have been in strong away form recently, winning their last seven away matches across all competitions. However, they already lost twice to Aston Villa this season, including a 0:1 defeat in the group stage, which highlights the challenge ahead.
With Bologna needing goals and Villa capable of exploiting spaces on the counterattack, an open match with chances at both ends looks likely.
