Is Unai Emery losing the team?
The team spirit seems to have evaporated at Aston Villa, who are facing serious difficulties in the Aston Villa vs. Bologna tip. Last year’s Champions League quarter-finalists are in 18th place in the Premier League after five rounds of matches.
However, it is not the results that are displeasing head coach and Europa League guru Unai Emery. The Spaniard is missing the implementation of his required playing principles. A lack of passion in tackles is just one of the shortcomings he has identified. As a result, Aston Villa are still waiting for their first win of the season after six competitive games and are under pressure in the Aston Villa vs. Bologna prediction.
The hosts have started their Premier League campaign with four games without scoring (2D, 2L). This was followed by a defeat in the League Cup (2-4 a.e.t. vs. Brentford), before center back Matty Cash scored the first PL goal of the season with a powerful long-range shot against Sunderland.
Bologna is invited for the first matchday. The visitors were already welcomed in the last Champions League season and sent back to Italy with a 0-2 defeat. Under the current circumstances, the Rossoblu can expect a better result.
Visiting coach Vincenzo Italiano has not had to analyze more than one goal conceded by his team in any competitive game so far this season. We are primarily attracted by the Aston Villa vs. Bologna betting odds of 1.80 for “Aston Villa Under 1.5 Goals.”
Aston Villa – Bologna Head-to-Head Comparison / H2H Record
On the third matchday of the previous Champions League group stage, the Villans won their only encounter with Bologna (2-0). Emery’s team seems to have somehow forgotten about their offense during preparation. No other Premier League team has scored fewer expected goals than the Villans (3.85 xG) in the first five matchdays.
They lack creativity in attack and support for center forward Ollie Watkins. Emery’s players have only scored 0.07 xG per shot in the English top flight – also the lowest figure in the national competition. We expect Bologna to play a deep block that will hardly allow any shots on goal.
Aston Villa – Bologna Tip
Bologna has not produced any highlight games in the first four matchdays of Serie A, but has primarily conjured up close encounters with few goals. In three of the four league games involving the Rossoblu, a maximum of one goal was scored.
Last weekend, Vinzenco Italiano’s team made a small breakthrough, winning 2-1 at home against Genoa. The visitors’ defense has not conceded more than one goal in any competitive game this season.
According to our Aston Villa vs. Bologna tip, this streak is set to continue. The visitors rely little or not at all on long ball circulation in national competition (21 sequences with 10 or more passes – only three teams have a lower value) and focus on a compact formation.
The Villans still lack the right patterns and, in a sense, the energy in the decisive moments to cause significant damage to such a defensive line. Therefore, we expect a maximum of one goal from the home side. However, a 0-0 draw is possible – Bologna has not scored in either of its two away games this season.
