Europa League | Aston Villa 1-0 Bologna: Heroic Skorupski insufficient

Lukasz Skorupski saved an Ollie Watkins penalty and Santiago Castro hit the bar, but Bologna still capitulated 1-0 to Aston Villa in the Europa League.

These teams met here last season in the Champions League, with the hosts winning 2-0. Both were stuttering this term, as the Rossoblu had two home wins and two away defeats in Serie A, with Ciro Immobile, Tommaso Pobega, Nicolò Casale and Ibrahim Sulemana injured, Benjamin Dominguez and Lorenzo De Silvestri off the UEFA list. Villa were still without a victory this term, managing three draws and two losses in the Premier League, plus Carabao Cup elimination on penalties to Brentford. Emiliano Martinez, Ross Barkley, Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana were out of action.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Evann Guessand forced a difficult early save from Lukasz Skorupski at the near post, with Federico Bernardeschi making a crucial clearance to prevent a tap-in on the rebound.

Aston Villa took the lead from a short corner routine, as first there was a horrible Morgan Rogers fresh air shot from 12 yards, but it was cleared to outside the area for John McGinn to take a touch and drill into the near bottom corner.

John McGinn gets Aston Villa’s first home goal of the season!

He gives his side the lead against Bologna in the 13th minute

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Skorupski denied Donyell Malen on three very tough situations, twice having to rush off his line and palm the ball off his feet one-on-one, while Federico Bernardeschi had two snapshots straight at Marco Bizot.

Santiago Castro slipped and was unable to make the most of a Nicolò Cambiaghi cross from the left, then scuffed another finish on the Nadir Zortea pull-back.

Martin Vitik made a crucial block to stop substitute Ollie Watkins finishing off the Guessand counter-attack, but then Vitik was at fault when bringing down Watkins for a penalty, though Bologna complained of a handling offence in the build-up. Watkins stepped up hoping for his first goal of the season, but the penalty straight down the middle was parried by Skorupski’s legs.

Ollie Watkins is unable to double Aston Villa’s lead as his penalty is saved

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Bologna were so unfortunate not to score moments later, as Riccardo Orsolini came off the bench and immediately whipped in a cross from the right for Castro’s header off the bar from six yards.

Jens Odgaard only skimmed his head to the Charalampos Lykogiannis cross where Bizot had mistimed his rush off the line, while Skorupski was again decisive on ex-Roma player Lucas Digne and Watkins in stoppages.

Bologna had a huge opportunity to snatch a point in stoppages, as the Vitik looping header was acrobatically punched out from under the bar by Bizot, then Remo Freuler scuffed the rebound.

Marco Bizot makes a big save just before full-time as Aston Villa secure their first win of the season

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Aston Villa 1-0 Bologna

McGinn 13 (AV)

Saved penalty: Watkins 69 (B)