Aston Villa vs Bologna Lineups April 2026 – An exciting match in the Europa League returns, and this time Aston Villa are in a very advantageous position as they host Bologna.

With an aggregate advantage, this match will determine whether Villa can secure a place in the semifinals or if Bologna will create a major surprise.

The match is scheduled to take place at Villa Park on Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 08.00 PM local time.

After winning 3-1 in Italy, the Birmingham-based club can secure a spot in the semifinals by finishing the job at home.

Now, before the match begins, let us take a look at Mansion Sports’ prediction for the Aston Villa vs Bologna lineups in April 2026 below!

Team Conditions Ahead of the Match

Aston Villa

Starting their third European quarter-final in the last three seasons, Aston Villa began slowly in the first leg last week, but they managed to overcome several threats before eventually building a significant lead.

More than two weeks since their last competitive match, Villa were somewhat fortunate at the Stadio Dall'Ara - Bologna had a goal disallowed for offside and also hit the crossbar - before eventually taking full control of the match.

Ezri Konsa gave them the lead against the run of play, before Ollie Watkins scored twice between a fine response from Jonathan Rowe for the Rossoblu.

After restoring their two-goal advantage in the closing moments, Unai Emery’s side are in a very strong position to progress to the next round.

Coached by Emery, who has already won this competition four times - an expert in knockout stages - Villa have now recorded eight consecutive wins in UEFA’s second-tier tournament since slipping in Deventer, when they suffered a surprise defeat to Go Ahead Eagles.

On Sunday, the 1982 European champions faced another Midlands club that has also won the European Cup, drawing in an eventful Premier League match against Nottingham Forest.

Morgan Rogers hit the crossbar before he and Watkins missed golden opportunities to secure a full victory at the City Ground, but Villa remain safely in the top five in England and are on track for next season’s Champions League.

Emery’s side could even meet Forest again in the Europa League semifinals, but they must complete the job against Bologna first.

History is on their side: Villa have won 15 of their last 17 home matches in Europe - including their last eight in a row - and have averaged two goals per game at Villa Park this season.

Bologna

Meanwhile, Bologna need something close to a miracle if they are to progress to the next round, considering they have already lost twice in Birmingham since the start of last season.

Across three meetings overall, Villa hold a clear advantage with an aggregate score of six goals to one, although Vincenzo Italiano’s side were far more competitive at Dall'Ara.

Since losing 1-0 at Villa Park in September, Bologna have actually won all five of their away matches in Europe, but history is not on their side this time.

Only one of 67 teams that have lost the first leg of a Europa League knockout tie by at least two goals at home has managed to progress, and that occurred in one city: Sevilla defeated local rivals Real Betis in 2014.

After their 11-match unbeaten run in Europe finally came to an end, last season’s Coppa Italia winners now face a potentially disappointing conclusion to their campaign.

Italiano and his team have already been eliminated from domestic cup competitions and are nine points behind sixth-placed Roma in Serie A, although they secured a 2-0 win over Lecce last weekend.

With nothing to lose, Bologna will now give everything in an attempt to produce a spectacular comeback in England, where they have lost five times since their only victory in 1967.

At that time, the Emilia-based club defeated West Bromwich Albion 3-1 at The Hawthorns - not far from Villa Park - and a similar result will be required once again.

Aston Villa vs Bologna Lineups April 2026

Below is the predicted lineup and coaches for both teams in this match.

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)

Regarding the home team squad condition, after Emi Martinez was withdrawn just before kickoff on Sunday, it remains unclear whether backup goalkeeper Marco Bizot will start again.

Tyrone Mings is also still doubtful, while Boubacar Kamara and Jadon Sancho are still dealing with injuries and Ross Barkley is ineligible as he is not registered in the UEFA squad.

The absence of Barkley is likely to open the door for Douglas Luiz or Emi Buendia to enter Emery’s starting lineup.

Watkins and captain John McGinn are Villa’s top scorers in this competition with three goals each - both need just one more goal to become the club’s all-time top scorers in Europe.

Bologna (4-2-3-1)

Meanwhile, regarding the away team squad condition, Bologna forwards Federico Bernardeschi and Rowe have scored five and four goals respectively; Rowe also has the highest number of dribbles in the knockout stage this season.

Riccardo Orsolini is also pushing for a place in the starting lineup after ending his goal drought with a late goal last weekend.

Italiano may be able to recall Martin Vitik, who missed the first leg due to suspension, but another defender, Jhon Lucumi, will instead be absent due to suspension.

Charalampos Lykogiannis and Thijs Dallinga still need to undergo fitness tests, while Benjamin Dominguez and first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski remain injured.

Federico Ravaglia or young player Massimo Pessina is likely to fill the goalkeeper position at Villa Park.

With all the existing conditions, this match remains interesting to watch, especially to see whether Aston Villa can maintain their advantage or if Bologna will instead produce a major surprise.

Therefore, make sure you do not miss the latest updates regarding the Aston Villa vs Bologna lineups in April 2026 and the course of this important match.