Horta and Martinez Strike as Celtic Slump to Braga Defeat

Celtic 0-2 Sporting Braga Horta (20′) Martinez (85′) A goal in each half secured a 2-0 victory for Sporting Braga over Celtic in the Europa League, drawing loud boos from the frustrated home support. Brendan Rodgers’ side produced a positive start, new signings Kelechi and Sebastian Tounekti linked after 13 minutes, but the latter’s strike was straight at Braga goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek. The chance encouraged the home faithful, but hopes evaporated as Braga dominated the remainder of the first half. Ricardo Horta gave the visitors the lead after 20 minutes. After collecting the ball in acres of space, he unleashed a dipping 30-yard strike which wrongfooted Kasper Schmeichel in goal. The Portuguese side had struggled in the early stages, but looked far more assured after Horta’s goal. They dominated the central areas, running Celtic’s midfield ragged. Florian Grillitsch had opportunities to double the lead close to halftime, but a powerful strike after 44 minutes was tipped over by Schmiechel. The Austrian midfielder had two close-range efforts blocked moments later. The halftime whistle brought boos from the home faithful. Despite a strong start, Rodgers’ side would have to improve to wrestle the game back in their favour from the confident visitors. Iheanacho thought he had brought Celtic level five minutes into the second period. The striker beat two Braga defenders to the ball and drove a low shot past Hornicek at the left-hand side of the box. The goal looked certain to stand, but a lengthy VAR check concluded that the Nigerian forward had handled the ball in the build-up. The decision stunned the home support, as the ball seemed to only connect with Iheanacho’s head. The incident ignited a quiet Celtic Park, and Callum McGregor’s close-range shot was expertly blocked as Rodgers’ side pressed for the equaliser. Kieran Tierney blocked a Horta strike and had his back-post header saved as both sides continued to attack. Hornicek was again on hand to save Tounekti’s bending effort aimed at the bottom right-hand corner. Braga doubled their lead in the 85th minute to seal the game. A flowing move eventually found its way to Gabi Martinez. The substitute’s effort rebounded to Dane Murray, who’s attempted clearance cannoned off Martinez, and past Schmeichel. Celtic were unable to force their way back into the game, leaving them with one point from their opening two Europa League matches. They have a chance to respond against Motherwell on Sunday afternoon. Celtic: Schmeichel, Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Tierney, McGregor, Bernardo, Nygren, Maeda, Iheanacho, Tounekti Braga: Hornicek, Da Rocha, Lagerbielke, Arrey-Mbi, Lelo, Grillitsch, Carvalho, Gorby, Victor, Horta, El Ouazzani

Aberdeen Meet Ukrainian Giants in Conference League Opener

Aberdeen open their European campaign at Pittodrie against Shakhtar Donetsk tomorrow night. Both sides will be making their Europa Conference League phase debuts on Thursday, but for the visitors, this will be their first time featuring in this competition. The Ukrainian side are well-known to the Champions League, being involved in the top competition five times since 2020 despite dropping to the Europa League on multiple occasions. Aberdeen have endured a difficult league start, sitting at rock bottom of the league, and scoring zero goals in the process. The Dons did reach the Scottish League Cup last 16, but unfortunately, Motherwell booked the spot at Hampden. Aberdeen grabbed guaranteed European football by defeating Celtic in the Scottish Cup despite finishing the league season in fifth. Aberdeen have had some big results in the past in Europe, including the most noticeable 2-0 victory over German giants, Eintracht Frankfurt. Aberdeen was unlucky not to make the Europa League this season, crashing out to Romanian side, FCSB. The Pittodrie side also holds their immaculate two European trophies in 1983. Last time out Aberdeen was on the wrong end once against losing 2-0 courtesy of two late goals by the Steelmen, continuing the losing drought and not finding the back of the net. A look into the visitors A disappointing campaign for the regular Ukrainian champions, sitting 7 points behind champions, Dynamo Kyiv. Shakhtar have had a challenging time of late due to ongoing conflict in Ukraine where the currently play in Germany at the home of Schalke. Shakhtar earlier this season sold top star, Kevin for an outstanding for a fee in the region of £35million. Thursday’s visitors have plenty of quality within their side with players such as Newerton, Pedrinho and Mykola Matviyenko being some to watch. Marian Shved the former Celtic man will be looking to make an impact at Pittodrie. Shakhtar are currently unbeaten in 22 matches, their last defeat being in April losing to FC Kolos Kovalivka. The Ukrainian side were knocked out the Europa League by Greek outfit, Panathinaikos following a goalless aggregate scoreline, losing out on penalties. The Ukrainian side edged past Servette to make the league phase. Shakhtar won the Ukrainian cup last season defeating Dynamo Kyiv thanks to a goal by Elias taking the match to penalties, winning 6-5 in the shootout. Shakhtar Donetsk have got off to an outstanding start, topping their league with five wins and two draws in the process. The side from Donetsk have scored 14 times in their opening 7 games which may draw fear into the Aberdeen side. Also, only four goals conceded which isn’t something the Pittodrie fanbase wants to hear. Shakhtar last time out Shakhtar defeated league leaders Rukh Lviv 4-0 away from home. Meirrelles and Isaque scored alongside a Pedrinho brace. Team news The duo of Dante Polvara and Stuart Armstrong were both missing from the defeat at Motherwell, with both players in contention to return to action. Other than that, the Dons are not suspected of having any other concerns. The visitors will be without £14million star signing, Alisson Santana, due to a broken leg. Lassina Traore and Equinaldo could also miss out through injury. The talk ahead of Thursday Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Pedrinho, “This victory (4-0 win during the weekend) is very important and has a positive impact on the team. “I think we are constantly progressing, even in previous we created many chances. “This time we managed to realise our chances. “It was an impressive victory. “I am really happy with the goals and especially for the team’s victory. “We knew that the game would be difficult, so we had to show our football.   Jimmy Thelin after Motherwell defeat, “We want to be more compact and have more players central in the pitch so that we can create more chances. “I think the way we set up the team (vs Motherwell) shows some positive things that we can use in the future also” He added: “We have to focus on the positive things and do everything we can to push for the next game (Shahktar Donetsk). “It’s not easy to talk about the positives right now because we have one point on the table and have scored zero goals.  

Tony Watt Header Earns Narrow Partick Thistle Victory

Queens Park 0-1 Partick Thistle Watt (7′) A first-half Tony Watt goal moved Mark Wilson’s Partick Thistle into 2nd place in the Scottish Championship. The former Celtic striker headed home a deep Logan Chalmers cross to secure all three points and their fifth straight league victory. This summer, Wilson took over permanently at Firhill, and his side has impressed in the league following a 5-1 opening day defeat to St Johnstone in Perth. Defeat for Queens Park leaves them 8th in the table, with one victory in the opening eight league matches. They travel to KDM Group East End Park to face Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline on Saturday, while The Jags host Arbroath. Teams Queens Park: Ferrie, Pignatiello, Fox, Shiels, Fieldson, Longridge, Connolly, MacGregor, McDonnell, Scott, Fowler Partick Thistle: Clarke, McPherson, Ashcroft, O’Reilly, Logan, Stanway, Crawford, Chalmers, Letsosa, Fitzpatrick, Watt

Late Aarons Goal Secures First League Victory for Rangers

Livingston 1-2 Rangers Sylla (68′)                           Tavernier (23′) Aarons (90+4′) Russell Martin’s Rangers left it late at The Set Fare Arena to win their first league game of the Scottish Premiership season. Livingston looked dangerous in the opening exchanges, but Jack Butland blocked Stevie May’s right-footed shot and saved Lewis Smith’s curling strike as the home side searched for the opener. After the early pressure, Russell Martin’s side established better control of the game. Bojan Miovski collected a delicate Nicolas Raskin touch, but the Macedonian striker blazed his strike into the visiting support. Rangers took the lead after 23 minutes. Djeidi Gassama’s deep cross was kept alive by Oliver Antman at the back post for captain James Tavernier to volley home. Tavernier had a chance to double the lead from the penalty spot moments later, but Jerome Prior was up to the challenge, saving low to his right. Connor Barron looked an assured presence in the heart of the Rangers midfield, and almost added a third with a low drive. Prior pulled a terrific low save to keep the score at one. Prior continued to keep Livingston alive, this time diverting a Miovski volley onto the crossbar after Tavernier’s corner on 41 minutes. Derek Cornelius thought he had doubled Rangers on the stroke of halftime after bundling home Tavernier’s free kick. VAR rightly disallowed the goal as the Canadian defender had controlled the ball with his right arm, and was offside. Despite some early scares and a slender advantage, Rangers had produced an improved performance in the first half. Davie Martindale’s last home victory over Rangers came in 2018, and his side started the second period with endeavour. May raced clear of the defence and collided with Souttar in the box, but referee John Beaton quickly waved off the home side’s penalty shout. May was involved again after 63 minutes, collecting Adam Montgomery’s backheel, and firing a fierce strike at Butland in goal. They equalised after 68 minutes, Mo Sylla powered home an inswinging cross, which was thoroughly deserved for Martindale’s boys. Livingston continued to probe on the counterattack but didn’t threaten Butland’s goal any further. Rangers won the game in the 94th minute. Tavernier’s cross dropped to substitute Max Aarons, who drilled a low shot into the corner. The goal sent Russell Martin and the large contingent of travelling fans into a frenzy. Rangers return to Europa League action in Austria against Sturm Graz on Thursday evening, and Livingston travel to Tannadice to face Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United. Livingston: Prior 7 Findlayson 6 Wilson 6 Montgomery 6 Pittman 6 Tait 6 Sylla 6 Susoho 6 Winter 6 May 6 Substitutes: McLennan 5 Blaney 6 Bokoli 5 Carey Yengi Rangers: Butland 6 Tavernier 6 Cornelius 6 Souttar 6 Meghoma 6 Barron 7 Raskin 7 Aasgaard 5 Antman 5 Gassama 7 Miovski 6 Substitutes: Chermiti 6 Aarons 6 Rothwell 6 Bajrami Moore

Warriors Victorious over Sharks in URC Opener

Glasgow Warriors 35 – 19 Hollywood Bet Sharks Tries: Rowe, McDowall, Darge, Dobie, Penalty Try. Con: Horne (4) Tries: Van Der Merwe, Tshituka, Am. Con: Hendrikse (2)   The URC is back, and Glasgow Warriors opened their campaign with a well-earned victory over a determined Sharks side at Scotstoun. The Warriors’ game plan suffered a setback even before kick-off, with powerful ball-carrier Jack Dempsey forced out after picking up an injury in the warm-up. They were also disrupted early on when fly-half Lancaster was replaced briefly for a blood injury, with Adam Hastings stepping in to cover. Despite the disruptions, the contest did not disappoint. It was a game full of big collisions, frantic passages of play, and plenty of mauls. Many had written off the Sharks before kick-off, with the South African side missing a host of internationals preparing for their Rugby Championship clash against Argentina tomorrow. And with Scotstoun being something of a fortress, few expected them to trouble the Warriors. From the start, though, it was a physical contest. Debutant centre Kerr Yule wasted no time in making his mark, winning an early turnover with a thunderous tackle – setting the tone for the evening. It was the Sharks who struck first, winger Edwill van der Merwe finishing off a sharp midfield move. He still had plenty to do, showing strength to ground the ball under pressure. Glasgow hit back swiftly through Kyle Rowe, with George Horne adding the extras to give the home side a 7–5 lead after 14 minutes. Both teams traded blows in attack, but it was the defences that often came out on top, forcing errors and turnovers. Fan favourite Johnny Matthews twice crossed the whitewash, only to be denied both times by the TMO. With 48 tries already in a Glasgow shirt, he underlined once again his eye for the try line. The pressure eventually told when Matt Fagerson powered over after Glasgow stretched the Sharks’ defence touchline to touchline, before sheer strength drove the back-rower across the line. The Sharks responded just before half-time, with captain Vincent Tshituka crashing over to narrow the gap to 14–12 at the break. The second half brought more of the same – frantic play, fierce hits, long passes, interceptions, and hurried kicks keeping fans on the edge of their seats. Glasgow extended their lead nine minutes in, with Rory Darge crossing to give his side valuable breathing space. A clever kicking game and strong control of territory helped the Warriors manage the match, though their scrum came under pressure, handing the Sharks a foothold. That pressure told when a cross-field kick found Van der Merwe, who passed inside to Lukhanyo Am to score, cutting Glasgow’s lead once more. A missed tackle from a pick-and-go allowed Dobie to create space and get a pass away to Horne. Using his dangerous pace, Horne burst through the midfield and opened up more space before returning the ball to Dobie, who dived under the posts. The Sharks’ hopes faded late on with two yellow cards in quick succession. Replacement forward Tino Mavesere was binned on 75 minutes, before Lee-Marvin Mazibuko followed two minutes later, his infringement at the maul conceding a penalty try. Down to 13 men, the Sharks gamely ran the ball from their own try line in search of a fourth try and a bonus point, but Glasgow’s defence held firm. The match closed with the Warriors claiming a deserved 35–19 win. Next week, Glasgow travel to Italy to take on Benetton. They will look to build on the positives from this performance while tightening up in key areas, particularly their midfield defence and scrum.   Line-ups Glasgow: Josh McKay, Kyle Rowe, Stafford McDowall (capt), Kerr Yule, Ollie Smith, Dan Lancaster, George Horne; Jamie Bhatti, Jonny Matthews, Fin Richardson, Jare Orguntibeju, Alex Samuel, Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey. Replacements: Gregor Hiddleston, Rory Sutherland, Sam Talakal, Scott Cummings, Gregor Brown, Euan Ferrie, Jamie Dobie, Adam Hastings.   Sharks: Yaw Penxe, Edwil van der Merwe, Lukhanyo Am, Francois Venter, Christie Grobbelaar, Jaden Henrikse, Ross Braude; Simphiwe Matanzima, Fez Mbatha, Ruan Dreyer, Deon Slabbert, Marvin Orie, Phepsi Buthelezi, Manu Tshituka, Vincent Tshituka. Replacements: Eduan Swart, Dian Bleuler, Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, Bathobele Hlekani, Nick Hatton, Jean Smith, Jurenzo Julius, Hakeem Kunene.

Thomson Penalty Pushes Auchinleck Talbot into Scottish Cup 2nd Round

Auchinleck Talbot 2-1 Cumnock Juniors Boyd (69′) Thomson (90′)                        Roulston (9′) Auchinleck Talbot progressed to the Scottish Cup 2nd round, coming from behind to defeat their bitter rivals, Cumnock Juniors Cumnock burst to life after nine minutes, Lee Roulston glanced an inswinging cross past William Muir to silence the home faithful. The visitor’s positive start continued. Roulston found space at the edge of the box, but Talbot captain Neil McPherson blocked his strike. Talbot currently sit top of the West of Scotland league with 7 wins from 7 games, but they struggled to settle as Cumnock continued to dominate possession and create the prominent chances. The home side slowly grew into the tie towards halftime. Luke Gillies broke down the left, but no one in yellow could get a touch on his inviting cross. Connor Boyd had an opportunity for the homeside on the stroke of halftime, but his low shot was well blocked in the box. Cumnock boss Stephen Swift would have been pleased with his side’s lead and resolute defensive performance. Talbot started the second half strongly, as they pushed for the equaliser. A corner kick from the right fell kindly to Luke Main, but he smashed over the bar from the edge of the box. The home side threatened again ten minutes into the second period. Ewan Thomson dispossessed the Cumnock midfield, but could only roll his strike into Blair Currie’s arms. The Juniors could have doubled their lead on the hour mark, but Talbot did well to scramble the ball clear in the six-yard box before Jon Craig could connect. Roulston flashed a half volley wide shortly after, looking for his second of the game. The home side equalised through striker Connor Boyd on 69 minutes. The striker raced onto a flick and finished low past Currie to haul Tommy Sloan’s side level. Talbot pushed for the winner, Ross Clark clipped the crossbar with an arrowing strike after positive play by Kyle McAvoy. The home side hit the woodwork again after 88 minutes, a smart turn and strike by Thomson on the edge of the box cannoned off Currie’s right post. Ewan Thomson won Auchinleck Talbot the cup tie in the 90th minute, Clark was bundled over in the box, and Talbot’s talisman coolly dispatched the resultant penalty past Currie. Calum McEwan gave away the penalty and was sent off minutes later, an unfortunate night for the substitute. Beechwood Park erupted at the full-time whistle. Auchinleck Talbot are the first name into the hat for the Scottish Cup 2nd Round Auchinleck Talbot: Muir, Clark, Shoneville, Wilson, McPherson, Sime, Main, Gillies, Boyd, McAvoy, Thomson Cumnock Juniors: Currie, Craig, Brindley, McDonald, Brownlie, Roulston, Forde, Buchanan, Orr, Dykes, Conn  

Kyziridis-Inspired Hearts Record Comfortable Victory over Falkirk

Hearts 3 – 0 Falkirk Kyziridis (22′) Shankland (41′) Halkett (47′) A stunning Alexandros Kyziridis strike sent Hearts on their way to a comfortable 3-0 victory at Tynecastle, and to the summit of the Scottish Premiership. The game started at a frantic pace. Calvin Millar tested Alexander Schwolow with a low strike in the opening minute. The goalkeeper was making his first start at Tynecastle after his summer move from Union Berlin. Kyziridis was Hearts’ hero against Livingston 3 weeks ago, and was a constant thorn in the Falkirk side. His inventive cross narrowly evaded Craig Halkett as they searched for the opener. The home side eventually found a rhythm and created several chances in the opening exchanges. Stephen Kingsley stood up a deep cross to the backpost, which Harry Milne headed narrowly wide. The Jambos broke the deadlock after 23 minutes with a candidate for goal of the season. Kyziridis ventured in off the left, beating several white jerseys, and unleashing an arrowing strike past Bain into the top corner. It was a marvellous strike from the Greek winger, who looks to be brilliant business from the Tynecastle outfit. Falkirk occasionally showed signs of the football that secured back-to-back league titles under John McGlynn’s guidance. A clever forward pass by Spencer allowed McCann to sweep a low cross into the Hearts box, but Ross MacIver was unable to find the connection. The lead was doubled after 41 minutes. Lawrence Shankland picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and drilled a low effort under Bain. The captain endured a somewhat difficult 2024 season, but looks back to his best under Derek McInnes with his third goal in two games. The halftime whistle brought thunderous applause from the home faithful. Hearts were fresh off a first Ibrox victory in 11 years, and were brimming with confidence against the Scottish Championship winners. The home side raced out of the blocks in the second half and added a third in the 47th minute. Kyziridis turned provider, delivering a dangerous corner kick for Craig Halkett to glance home. McGlynn’s team had started slowly against Hibernian on Tuesday evening and were being put to the sword against a dominant Hearts. They looked to respond, as Scott Arfield and Calvin Millar flashed shots wide. Shankland stung Bain’s palms, and Kingsley’s free-kick cannoned off the wall as Hearts searched for a 4th. Braga inspired a Hearts comeback draw against Motherwell last month, and blasted a shot straight at Bain as the game ticked towards the 70-minute mark. Schwolow was alert to tip Tait’s stinging effort away from goal in the 80th minute as McGlynn’s boys searched for a route back. Overall, it was a deserved victory for Derek McInnes’ team, who move top of the Scottish Premiership after Celtic’s goalless draw with Hibernian. Hearts welcome their rivals in the first Edinburgh Derby next Saturday evening. The Bairns return to the Falkirk Stadium a week on Sunday to face Russell Martin’s Rangers.   Hearts: Schwolow 7 Kingsley 8 Halkett 7 Findlay 7 Milne 7 McEntee 7 Baningime 7 Devlin 8 Kyziridis 8 Braga 8 Shankland 7 Substitutes: Steinwender 6 Forrest 6 Magnusson 5 Kerjota 5 Falkirk: Bain 6 Adams 6 Henderson 5 Lissah 5 McCann 6 Spencer 6 Tait 6 Cartwright 6 Williams 6 Miller 6 MacIver 6 Substitutes: Arfield 6 Oliver 6 Hart 5 Ogunsuyi 5 Attendance: 18919

Ally McCoist believes Russell Martin is in ‘big trouble’ as the pressure continues to mount

It wasn’t the start Rangers were hoping for to their Europa League campaign as they suffered a 1-0 loss at home to Genk, as the pressure intensifies on under-fire boss Russell Martin. The Light Blues have only managed to win four of their last 14 games, and last night 38,000 were in attendance, which was the lowest turnout for a European game at Ibrox since returning to the Scottish Premiership nine years ago. The Rangers faithful made their feelings clear to Martin with a chorus of boos at fulltime and chants for him to ‘get to f***’. Time is certainly running out for the 39-year-old, and Ally McCoist believes that is the case. Speaking on TNT Sports, the footballing legend said he can’t see things improving anytime soon, whilst Martin is still in the role as head coach: “It clearly hasn’t been good enough, and it isn’t good enough, and tonight was another disappointment. “You can point to the red card, the deserved red card, but it goes deeper than that. The level of performances haven’t been good enough. “I just felt coming into the stadium tonight, you could’ve blown me away, it was nothing like a normal atmosphere of any game, never mind a European game here at Ibrox. “There was an apathy, I don’t know. There was just no life about the place, you know, actually on or off the pitch, which is really, really concerning. “The manager is in trouble, the manager is in big trouble because something has to change, and something has to change dramatically, and on the current evidence. Sadly, I can’t see it happening.”

Ex Celtic Striker Seals Defeat for Rangers in Europa League Opener

Rangers 0-1 Genk Oh Hyeon-Gyu (55′) Rangers slipped to a narrow defeat against Genk in the Europa League, as their difficult season opening continued. The home side was reduced to 10 men after Mohamed Diomande lunged at Zakaria El Ouahdi on the stroke of halftime. Beforehand, John Souttar had gone close to opening the scoring, but his header was expertly cleared off the line thanks to a Bryan Heynen overhead kick. Genk had a golden chance to open the scoring after James Tavernier caught Yaimar Medina in the box, but Jack Butland was on hand to save Oh’s resultant penalty, keeping the scores level. The South Korean striker gave Genk the lead ten minutes into the second half, racing clear of the Rangers backline and drilling a low strike across Butland. Rangers were unable to find the equaliser. Heynen’s brilliant late save from Connor Barron’s strike was the closest they came. Rangers return to Premiership action against Livingston on Sunday afternoon, before a trip to Austria to face Sturm Graz in Europa League Matchday 2. Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Souttar, Cornelius, Meghoma Raskin, Diomande, Aasgaard, Moore, Chermiti, Gassama Genk: Van Crombrugge, Medina, Kayembe, Sadick, Smets, El Ouahdi, Bangoura, Heynen, Hrosovsky, Steuckers, Oh

Aston Villa v Bologna : Match Preview

Aston Villa begin their Europa League campaign on Thursday night, hosting Italian outfit Bologna at Villa Park. A 6th-placed finish in the Premier League last campaign ensured Aston Villa would return to the Europa League for the first time since 2008/09. Villa narrowly missed out on a Champions League spot on the final day of last season, having suffered a 2-0 defeat against Man United at Old Trafford. Newcastle claimed the final UCL spot, finishing fifth on goal difference. Unai Emery’s side are no strangers to European football, as a third-consecutive European journey awaits the Villans. Aston Villa have had a difficult start to the 2025/26 Premier League season, playing five matches and failing to pick up a single win in any of those encounters, whilst only managing to find the net once. Losses against Brentford and Crystal Palace, whilst picking up draws against Newcastle, Everton and Sunderland, mean Villa are still in search of their first three points. Villa were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brentford in the third round after losing 5-4 in a penalty shootout. The game had finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Harvey Elliott netting the only goal. Last time out Villa were made to settle for a point against 10-man Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon. Poland international Matty Cash rifled a superb long-distance strike beyond Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs to end Villa’s goal drought, before Wilson Isidor’s 75th-minute effort rescued a point for Sunderland. An insight into Bologna Villa’s opponents, Bologna will feature in the Europa League for the first time in twenty five years. Manager Vincenzo Italiano guided Bologna to a first major trophy in 51 years last season, as they enjoyed silverware success, defeating Italian giants AC Milan 1-0 in the Coppa Italia final. Dan Ndoye’s decisive goal earned Bologna a place in this season’s Europa League. This will be the second consecutive season that Bologna are involved in a European competition, they featured in the UEFA Champions League last time around. The Serie A side were unable to make it out of the league phase after finishing 28th out of 36 teams. Their only victory came against Borussia Dortmund. Bologna’s start to the 2025/26 Serie A campaign has seen them experience mixed fortunes. Vincenzo Italiano’s team have played four matches, winning two and losing two. Both of Bologna’s victories have come at home — a 1-0 win over Como, while defeating Genoa 2-1 most recently. Their two defeats have come in away matches against Roma and AC Milan. Last time out Bologna secured a dramatic victory over Genoa on Saturday. Bologna were awarded a spot-kick in the 99th minute of the game, with the match finely poised at 1-1. Genoa winger Valentín Carboni was penalised for a handball after a VAR check. Bologna attacker Ricardo Orsolini would then make no mistake from 12 yards out to give Bologna all three points. Previous meetings The last meeting between these sides was as recent as last season. October 2024 saw Villa welcome Bologna to Villa Park in the league phase of the Champions League. Goals from John McGinn and Jhon Durán secured a 2-0 win for Villa that night. Team news Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott will be eager to make their first appearances in the Europa League for Aston Villa. Andres Garcia and Ross Barkley were involved in full training on Wednesday, while Belgian internationals Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana remain doubtful for this one. Nicolò Casale, Tommaso Pobega, Ibrahim Sulemana and Ciro Immobile are all set to miss Thursday’s Europa League opener, having been unavailable for Bologna’s last game. Right-back Lorenzo De Silvestri won’t feature, as he was left out of Bologna’s Europa League squad.