Bologna are returning to Villa Park on Thursday.
First, let’s get the Spaghetti Junction/Bolognese jokes out of the way right now. Mr Predictable has no place visiting here.
Then, let’s welcome Bologna back for the third time. There are Premier League clubs who don’t know their way around Villa Park as well as they do. In fact, there’s a club not too far away who visit us less often, and who won’t be here as much for the next couple of decades at least. So to everyone who’s making the trip, welcome and I hope you enjoy yourselves as much as you have previously.
I doubt there’ll be much difference in their team and the one who finished second last Thursday. They’ll have that bloke who scored playing and there’s every chance he’ll be the new Benni McCarthy. If you’re feeling particularly pessimistic or need reassurance we’re 1/66 to qualify with some bookies and they’re 18/1. I don’t suppose there’s much money in that particular market.
The visitors aren’t that good in the league so they’ll be giving this their best shot. We’ll, please God, not be thinking we only have to turn up to go through. It’ll be interesting to see what sort of team Unai picks. He may not want to risk the best keeper in the world, Pau Torres was left out against Forest for a reason and our returning midfield genii might equally not be up to two matches a week yet. Morgan Rogers will be starting.
Fair play to whatever supporters they bring and the total attendance will be interesting. The tie looks to be more or less settled (may as well tempt fate), there’s not much attraction in a team we’ve already played twice in two years and the prices are at their usual gouged level. The only real interest is wondering what the Big Flag will look like and yet, the crowd will still be at least in the high thirties. These are indeed the days of our lives.
