Predictions UEFA Champions League - Aston Villa vs Bologna

UEFA Champions League - Aston Villa vs Bologna
Match Time: 23-10-2024 02:00 Wednesday (GMT+7)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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Replicating their famous feat of 1982 - when they were crowned European champions for the only time to date - Aston Villa turned back the clock to beat mighty Bayern Munich in their first Champions League home fixture, with a committed defensive performance being capped off by a moment of magic from their reliable super-sub.

When Bayern's veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer strayed off his line, a superb Pau Torres pass provided the assist for Jhon Duran to loft home an inch-perfect winner, putting Villa on maximum points after two matches.

Unai Emery's men had previously cruised to a 3-0 victory over Young Boys in Switzerland, and another win this week would see Villa's Basque boss record his 25th success in the Champions League, becoming only the fifth Spanish manager to achieve that feat, after Pep Guardiola, Rafa Benitez, Vicente del Bosque and Luis Enrique.

Furthermore, the Villans could become only the third team to win their opening three games in UEFA's top club tournament without conceding, following in the footsteps of Malaga in 2012 and Leicester City four years later.

Of course, such statistics will be of little importance to the meticulous Emery, who has managed to defy the doubters so far by keeping his side among the Premier League's top six.

After trailing to an early goal against Fulham, another Villa fightback - aided by goals from Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers, plus a penalty save from Emi Martinez - helped the second-city club extend their unbeaten streak to nine games on Saturday.

In fact, a tally of 17 points from eight league matches represents their best start to a top-flight season since 1998, teeing them up nicely for a first-ever meeting with fellow Champions League debutants Bologna.

While the visitors' have suffered only one loss since the end of August - at the hands of Premier League pace-setters Liverpool - there may be a very different mood in Bologna's camp ahead of their latest midweek trip to England.

Following a summer of change, the Rossoblu find themselves occupying 13th place in the Serie A standings, and new coach Vincenzo Italiano has won just one of 10 matches to date - including a disappointing draw with Genoa last time out.

Even though goals from Riccardo Orsolini and Jens Odgaard put them in control at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Saturday evening, they proceeded to let two points slip during the final 20 minutes and were ultimately forced to settle for a single point.

That was the Emilian club's seventh share of the spoils this season, and it has been a similar story all year long: across Europe's top five leagues, only Italian counterparts Juventus have drawn more games in 2024.

Having kicked off their long-awaited return to Europe's top table with a goalless draw against Shakhtar Donetsk, they could now become the first side not to score in any of their first three Champions League fixtures since Austria Vienna did so in 2013.

Therefore, taking even one goal and one point back home to Emilia-Romagna would surely represent a success for Italiano and co on Tuesday night.

Prediction: Aston Villa 1-0 Bologna