Ollie Watkins scored twice as Aston Villa beat Bologna 3-1 to move one step closer to the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday with its eighth straight win in the competition.
Ezri Konsa scored the opening goal of the first leg of the quarter-final just before half-time, heading in a curling corner from Youri Tielemans.
Watkins doubled the lead early in the second half with a shot between the legs of goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia.
Jonathan Rowe reduced the deficit to one for hosts Bologna in the final minute before Watkins added his second in stoppage time.
Villa have reached the last eight in Europe for the third year in a row and are fourth in the Premier League, on course to qualify for the Champions League next season.
The return matches will take place next Thursday.
In a match between former European champions, Nottingham Forest took home a promising 1-1 draw from Porto.
Porto turned early pressure into a goal after William Gomes tapped in Gabriel Veiga’s low cross.
Just two minutes later, all was well when Porto’s Martim Fernandes equalized with an own goal. The right-back was almost on the halfway line when he sent a pass back to Diogo Costa, but the goalkeeper was out of position and the ball ended up in the net.
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Forest failed to score despite the return of striker Chris Wood to the starting line-up from injury for the first time since October.
Before the two meet at the City Ground in the second leg next week, relegation-threatened Forest host Villa in another crucial Premier League match on Sunday.
In the competition phase, Forest defeated Porto 2-0 at home.
Freiburg made the most of its first quarter-final match in European competitions by beating Celta Vigo 3-0.
In a dream start, captain Vincenzo Grifo shot Freiburg ahead in the 10th minute, and Jan-Niklas Beste doubled the lead in the first half.
Matthias Ginter completed the scoring in the second half.
Published on April 10, 2026
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