Frank Christian
Aston Villa is looking to secure a third consecutive Champions League victory when they host Bologna at Villa Park.
Villa recently secured a win against Young Boys and followed it with a narrow victory over Bayern Munich, reminiscent of their triumph in the 1982 European Cup.
Bologna, who surprised many by qualifying for the Champions League, is struggling after the departure of manager Thiago Motta to Juventus. While they are a tough opponent, they have managed only one win in nine matches this season, with six ending in draws.
The Sporting News provides essential details ahead of the match, including viewing options, kickoff times, and lineup updates.
Aston Villa vs. Bologna live stream and TV channel
To catch this Champions League matchup in the UK:
TV channel: TNT Sports 1
Live stream: Discovery+, Discovery+ app, TNT Sports Ultimate
This game will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1, with streaming available on Discovery+, the Discovery+ app, and TNT Sports Ultimate.
Kickoff details for Aston Villa vs. Bologna
This pivotal Champions League match will be held at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, on Tuesday, October 22, starting at 8:00 p.m. local time.
| Date | Tuesday, October 22 |
| Kick-off time | 8:00 p.m. BST |
| Venue | Villa Park |
| Location | Birmingham, England |
Aston Villa vs. Bologna: Team news and predicted lineups
Unai Emery’s team is healing from earlier injury setbacks, with key players starting to return in time for the match.
After recovering from knee injuries, Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings are back, and captain John McGinn also made a brief appearance over the weekend following his hamstring issue. With these players rejoining the squad, Emery may change the lineup again, but it’s likely Ollie Watkins will continue leading the attack, leaving Jhon Duran on the sidelines.
Morgan Rogers is also in excellent form, contributing to the team’s scoring efforts in recent games. In fact, he is leading the Champions League in dribbles this season with nine, including five in a thrilling match against Bayern Munich.
Predicted Aston Villa lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez (GK) — Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne — Onana, Tielemans — McGinn, Rogers, Ramsey — Watkins.
Injuries: Mings, Kamara, Onana
Suspensions: None
Bologna is facing a challenging situation with injuries following their draw with Genoa. Players like Dan Ndoye and Michel Aebischer have recently been added to the injury list.
In addition, Nicolo Cambiaghi and Oussama El Azzouzi are unavailable, and although Lewis Ferguson has returned to training, he isn’t match-ready yet. As a result, coach Vincenzo Italiano has limited options for his lineup.
Teenage striker Santiago Castro is expected to start ahead of Thijs Dallinga, while captain Riccardo Orsolini may feature on the right flank after scoring his first away goal in Serie A since January.
Predicted Bologna lineup (4-2-3-1): Skorupski (GK) — Posch, Beukema, Lucumi, Miranda — Freuler, Moro — Orsolini, Fabbian, Karlsson — Castro.
Injuries: Ferguson, Cambiaghi, El Azzouzi, Erlic, Ndoye, Iling-Junior, Aebischer.
Suspensions: None
Match Prediction: Aston Villa vs. Bologna
This matchup at Villa Park may not be as high-scoring as previous encounters, as Bologna is likely to take a more defensive approach.
Even though Aston Villa may have some weaknesses in defense, Bologna’s inability to capitalize on chances could lead to more frustration for them in this match.
- Prediction: Aston Villa 1 – 0 Bologna
Champions League Match Schedule for this Week
All times in BST
Tuesday, October 22
- AC Milan vs. Club Brugge (5:45 p.m.)
- Monaco vs. Red Star Belgrade (5:45 p.m.)
- Arsenal vs. Shakhtar (8:00 p.m.)
- Aston Villa vs. Bologna (8:00 p.m.)
- Girona vs. Slovan Bratislava (8:00 p.m.)
- Juventus vs. Stuttgart (8:00 p.m.)
- PSG vs. PSV (8:00 p.m.)
- Real Madrid vs. Dortmund (8:00 p.m.)
- Sturm Graz vs. Sporting (8:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, October 23
- Atalanta vs. Celtic (5:45 p.m.)
- Brest vs. Leverkusen (5:45 p.m.)
- Atlético vs. Lille (8:00 p.m.)
- Barcelona vs. Bayern (8:00 p.m.)
- Benfica vs. Feyenoord (8:00 p.m.)
- Man City vs. Sparta Prague (8:00 p.m.)
- RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool (8:00 p.m.)
- Red Bull Salzburg vs. D Zagreb (8:00 p.m.)
- Young Boys vs. Inter Milan (8:00 p.m.)
