Bologna vs Aston Villa Lineups April 2026 – An interesting match will take place in the Europa League as Bologna face Aston Villa in the first leg of the quarter-finals.

This duel has become a relatively frequent meeting over the past two seasons, meaning both teams already understand each other’s strengths.

The match is scheduled to take place at Renato Dall'Ara Stadium on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 09:00 PM local time.

After suffering two defeats in England, the Italian side is now determined to extend their unbeaten record in European competition.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa are targeting their eighth consecutive victory in this second-tier UEFA tournament.

Before the match begins, let us take a look at Mansion Sports’ prediction for the Bologna vs Aston Villa lineups for April 2026 below.

Condition of Both Teams Ahead of the Match

Bologna

Bologna are already quite familiar with the challenges ahead, having suffered two defeats in Birmingham over the past 18 months, namely a 2-0 loss in the Champions League last season and a 1-0 defeat at the beginning of this season.

However, the Rossoblu have now recorded a club record of 11 matches unbeaten in European competition, and the result at Villa Park remains their only defeat in their last 15 matches.

Having finished as Conference League runners-up twice with Fiorentina, Vincenzo Italiano will now lead his team into a UEFA quarter-final for the fifth time. However, this marks the first for Bologna since they eliminated Lyon in the 1998–99 UEFA Cup.

To reach this stage, the Emilia-Romagna side managed to eliminate Roma over two legs with a dramatic 5-4 aggregate victory after extra time, having previously defeated SK Brann in the knockout playoff round.

After winning the Coppa Italia and competing in the Champions League last season, Bologna supporters can still hope for further success this season.

At present, their full focus is on the Europa League, considering they have already been eliminated from other domestic competitions and are nine points behind Roma, who sit in sixth place in Serie A.

Although it appears challenging, Bologna have shown that they are not an easy team to defeat, especially with three wins from their last four matches, including a 2-1 victory over Cremonese on Sunday.

Aston Villa

After more than two weeks without a competitive match, Aston Villa are finally back in action, continuing their efforts to remain in the top five of the Premier League while also pursuing the Europa League title.

The 1982 European champions are now preparing to play in their third consecutive continental quarter-final after eliminating Lille in the previous round with a 3-0 aggregate victory.

In the past two seasons, they also eliminated Lille in the 2023–24 Conference League quarter-finals before losing 5-4 to Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s Champions League.

Despite a setback against Go Ahead Eagles, Aston Villa have still recorded nine victories from 10 Europa League matches this season, helping them recover from inconsistent performances in the domestic league.

Unai Emery’s side still have a chance to return to the Champions League next season, despite having collected only nine points from 10 league matches prior to an important victory over West Ham United.

Currently, they are in fourth place in the Premier League standings, five points ahead of Liverpool and six points ahead of Chelsea in the tight race for the top five.

However, before returning their focus to the league, Villa will face Bologna after a relatively long break without significant matches, due to the international break and their absence from last week’s FA Cup fixtures.

The good news is that Unai Emery is known as a Europa League specialist with four titles already won, and he also has a record of tactical victories against Vincenzo Italiano.

Bologna vs Aston Villa Lineups April 2026

Bologna (4-3-3)

For the home side, Lewis Ferguson has appeared in all 12 Europa League matches this season. Experienced forward Federico Bernardeschi has scored five goals, including one goal in each match against Roma.

English winger Jonathan Rowe has also become a serious threat after being directly involved in five goals from his last six Europa League appearances, including scoring on Sunday.

Despite losing Martin Vitik due to suspension, Juan Miranda is able to return after serving a one-match UEFA ban.

The conditions of Benjamin Dominguez, Charalampos Lykogiannis, Thijs Dallinga, and Jens Odgaard remain doubtful after missing the previous match. Meanwhile, first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski is still injured, so Federico Ravaglia is trusted once again.

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)

With a sufficiently long rest period, Unai Emery is expected to field his best lineup, including the possible return of Youri Tielemans as a starter.

However, two midfielders are unavailable, namely Boubacar Kamara, who is still injured, and Ross Barkley, who is not included in the UEFA squad. Jadon Sancho is also absent due to a shoulder injury sustained in a friendly match.

Positive news comes from the Scottish team captain, John McGinn, who returned to action before the international break. He has already scored nine goals in European competition and has the opportunity to set a new record.

Closing

This match is guaranteed to be fiercely contested, considering that both teams share a strong ambition to advance further in the Europa League.

Bologna, with their consistency in European competition, will attempt to take advantage of their home ground, while Aston Villa arrive with experience and a highly capable squad.

By understanding the Bologna vs Aston Villa Lineups April 2026, you can gain a clearer picture of the strategies and strengths of each team before the match begins.

Do not miss this exciting encounter, as the result could be crucial in determining both teams’ journey in this season’s competition.