Bologna face 'Mission Impossible' as they seek Aston Villa comeback
Bologna manager Vincenzo Italiano has called for a historic comeback against Aston Villa in their Europa League quarter-final second leg, joking he asked the club to recruit Tom Cruise for their 'Mission Impossible'. His side trail 3-1 from the first leg in Italy ahead of Thursday's match at Villa Park, needing to overturn a two-goal deficit to reach the semi-finals. According to Italiano, the club's request to enlist the Hollywood star was unsuccessful, leaving the footballing challenge squarely on his squad's shoulders.
Italiano emphasized that his team's objective is to disrupt Villa's comfort and make life difficult for the Premier League side. He stated that Bologna must not allow Villa to manage the game as they please due to their aggregate advantage. The Italian coach pointed to his own history of overturning first-leg deficits, notably with Fiorentina against Basel in the 2023 Europa Conference League semi-finals, where they lost 2-1 at home before winning 3-1 away. He referenced that the same match official, José María Sánchez, will oversee Thursday's encounter, perhaps seeing it as a positive omen.
Bologna's European campaign this season has shown resilience, particularly away from home. The team has secured seven away victories in 2026 and, under Italiano, has won all 11 two-legged ties in his career, including playoff and knockout round victories this term. They notably defeated Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in the previous round. However, Aston Villa presents a formidable obstacle, having remained unbeaten at Villa Park in European competition since May 2024, despite suffering five domestic home losses this season.
Villa manager Unai Emery is expected to welcome back both Jadon Sancho and goalkeeper Emiliano 'Dibu' Martínez from injury, likely reinstating the 4-2-3-1 formation used in the first leg. Italiano confirmed that goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia will start over Nicola Pessina, and with defender Jhon Lucumí suspended, the probable change is the introduction of Martin Vitik in central defence. The manager also dismissed speculation about a major tactical overhaul, suggesting the plan is to largely repeat the first-leg setup but with greater intensity and fewer errors.
Forward Jonathan Rowe, who has been in strong form with four Europa League goals in 2026, acknowledged the scale of the task. He admitted his side was somewhat unfortunate in the first leg, letting a potential 2-0 lead slip away due to a mistake that led to a Villa free-kick goal. Rowe stressed that Bologna must perform at a high level and avoid any further lapses to stand a chance of progression. The match represents the latest chapter in a remarkable season for Bologna, who have progressed from the Champions League qualifying rounds to the latter stages of the Europa League and remain active in the Coppa Italia.
