Aston Villa vs Bologna prediction, H2H and probable line-ups — 25 September 2025
On 25 September 2025, Aston Villa will host Bologna in Birmingham as part of the opening round of the Europa League group stage. Kick-off is scheduled for 21:00 Central European Time. Let’s take a closer look at the odds and pick a winner for this clash.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa enter the first round of the Europa League mired in a winless streak. The team have had a disastrous start to the season, failing to claim a single victory across all competitions — four draws and two defeats. In their most recent outing against newly promoted Sunderland, the Birmingham side enjoyed a numerical advantage from the middle of the first half, yet couldn’t press home their superiority and settled for a 1-1 draw. Their league campaign has been equally disappointing: only 3 points from five matches, sitting 18th in the table, with just one goal scored and five conceded. The League Cup also brought no relief, as Villa crashed out to Brentford in a penalty shootout.
Still, Aston Villa can draw confidence from their European experience — last season, the club reached the Champions League quarter-finals, displaying a commendable level of play. Now, they’ll aim to make their mark in the Europa League. Looking back at their head-to-head history, it’s worth noting that these teams met in last year’s Champions League group stage, with Villa coming out on top 2-0. That remains the only encounter between the clubs to date.
Bologna
Bologna enter the Europa League as last season’s Coppa Italia winners. Although the team only finished ninth in Serie A, their triumph in the domestic cup secured their place in Europe. Their league campaign has started modestly: two away defeats to Roma and Milan, both by 0-1 scorelines, and two home wins — a 2-1 victory over Genoa in the last round and a 1-0 win against Como. That leaves Bologna with 6 points and 11th place in the standings.
Things have not gone their way on the road — both away matches ended in defeat, with Bologna failing to find the net in either. Overall, their matches have been short on goals: three of their four official fixtures have featured just a single goal.
Probable line-ups
- Aston Villa: Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Kamara, McGinn, Ghesan, Rogers, Sancho, Watkins.
- Bologna: Skorupski, Dzortea, Vitik, Lucumí, Miranda, Freuler, Ferguson, Fabbian, Orsolini, Cambiaghi, Castro.
Key facts and head-to-head stats
- Aston Villa have failed to win 7 of their last 8 matches.
- Six of Villa’s last 7 games have produced under 2.5 goals.
- Bologna have lost 3 of their last 4 away fixtures.
- Bologna have conceded first in 3 of their last 4 matches.
- Four of Bologna’s last 5 away matches have ended with under 2.5 goals.
Prediction for Aston Villa vs Bologna
Aston Villa are enduring a dreadful start to the season and will be desperate to make amends in front of their home fans. Having already beaten Bologna last year, they’ll take confidence from that experience. Expect the hosts to come out strong, control possession, and push to secure an early advantage as they look to kick off their Europa League campaign with a statement win. My pick for this match is an Aston Villa victory at odds of 1.86.
