Aston Villa finally collected their opening success of the campaign with a narrow result against Bologna in the Europa League.
The decisive moment arrived early when captain John McGinn struck from distance, securing his second goal against the Italian side after also scoring in last year’s Champions League meeting.
Villa had begun with urgency, testing Lukasz Skorupski through Evann Guessand and Donyell Malen, but could not turn that pressure into further goals.
Penalty miss adds to Villa’s nerves
After the interval, Bologna grew in belief with Lewis Ferguson leading from midfield and Federico Bernardeschi forcing Marco Bizot into action.
Ollie Watkins then squandered a chance to double the lead when his weak penalty was stopped by Skorupski after he had been brought down in the area.
That reprieve boosted Bologna, and Santiago Castro almost levelled when his header bounced off the crossbar with 20 minutes to go.
In stoppage time, Martin Vitik’s close-range header was also denied by Bizot, preserving Villa’s slender advantage.
Relief for Emery but concerns remain
The victory offered a much-needed lift after a difficult week that saw the exit of football operations chief Monchi and the appointment of Roberto Olabe from Real Sociedad.
Yet, despite the three points, Villa’s display lacked conviction compared with their thrilling 3-2 triumph over Paris St-Germain at Villa Park in April.
Confidence looked low, highlighted by Watkins’ miss and the subdued form of Morgan Rogers, both key players last season.
Manager Unai Emery, who has raised expectations during his tenure, now faces the task of reviving momentum and rediscovering the sharpness that once defined his side.
What comes next
Villa return to domestic action against Fulham on Sunday before visiting Feyenoord in their second group game next week.
Bologna, meanwhile, travel to Lecce in Serie A and then face SC Freiburg away in the Europa League.