VILLA'S longest serving player John McGinn was the oldest swinger in town as his wicked free-kick broke Bologna.
2024/2025 UEFA Champions League
2-0
Match report
Jhon Duran marked his first Champions League start with a goal as Aston Villa secured a 2-0 victory against Bologna at Villa Park on Tuesday.
Both teams came out of the blocks well as an end-to-end affair unfolded in the opening stages of the game.
Boosted by immense support from the travelling Bologna supporters, who packed out the away end, Thijs Dallinga came closest to opening the scoring for the visitors but was denied by the outstretched arm of Emiliano Martinez.
Villa grew into the game following the early scare and quickly took control of proceedings after that, with both Duran and John McGinn calling Lukasz Skorupski into action before the break.
After being left frustrated in the first half, Villa restarted the fixture with the same vigour in the final third and finally broke the deadlock through a long-range free-kick from McGinn (55).
Despite sounding spectacular, it was a fairly fortunate opener from the Villa captain.
Standing over the set-piece, the Scotland star teased a ball into the box, which evaded players from both sides, before curling into the back of the net.
Duran netted Villa's second with a neat finish at the near-post nine minutes later shortly before being substituted off.
Unai Emery's side are now sitting pretty at the top of the new Champions League format and become just the third team to win their opening three games of the competition without conceding a goal.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
4' Match Event for Aston Villa vs Bologna
7' Highlight from Aston Villa vs Bologna
28' Highlight from Aston Villa vs Bologna
39' Match Event for Aston Villa vs Bologna
44' Match Event for Aston Villa vs Bologna
46' Highlight from Aston Villa vs Bologna
48' Match Event for Aston Villa vs Bologna
49' Highlight from Aston Villa vs Bologna
55' GOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Bologna (John McGinn)
64' GOAL! Aston Villa 2-0 Bologna (Jhon Durán)
86' Highlight from Aston Villa vs Bologna
Line-ups
Aston Villa XI: E. Martinez, McGinn, Tielemans, Carlos, Bailey, P. Torres, Ngoyo, Morgan Rogers, Amadou Onana, Maatsen, Jhon Durán
Subs: R. Olsen, Digne, Barkley, Mings, Ollie Watkins, Buendia, Kamara, Matty Cash, Jacob Ramsey, Jaden Philogene, Lamare Bogarde, Kosta Nedeljkovic
Bologna XI: Skorupski, Freuler, Charalampos Lykogiannis, S.Posch, Jhon Lucumí, Orsolini, Sam Beukema, Thijs Dallinga, Dan Ndoye, Kacper Urbanski, Giovanni Fabbian
Subs: Nikola Moro, Jens Odgaard, Tommaso Pobega, Federico Ravaglia, Nicolò Casale, Juan Miranda, Emil Holm, Samuel Iling-Junior, Nicola Bagnolini, Santiago Castro, Tommaso Corazza