John McGinn said there is no limit to Aston Villa’s ambition in the Champions League after beating Bologna 2-0 to go top of the table in a dream return to the competition.
Villa last played in the top tier of European football back in 1983 but Unai Emery’s transformation of a sleeping giant knows no bounds as they became the only side to register three wins from three Champions League games so far.
McGinn’s free-kick flew beyond everyone into the far corner to open the scoring in the second half before Jhon Duran kept up his prolific strike rate on a rare start for the Colombian.
“We don’t want to stop here. It puts us in a great position,” said McGinn, who joined the club when they were still in the second tier of English football in 2018.
“What we are building here is amazing.
“This is home for me. It is my seventh season here, we’ve had ups and downs. It has been a rollercoaster. Hopefully we can keep climbing.”
Bologna, by contrast, have just one point from their opening three games and one win in 11 games in all competitions this season.
The Rossoblu were one of the stories of European football last season as they finished fifth in Serie A to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 60 years.
However, they have struggled since losing star players Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee to Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United, while coach Thiago Motta left to take charge of Juventus.
Emery said on the eve of the game he wants to “break barriers” at a club that has not won a trophy since 1996.
And the Spaniard showed the impressive strength in depth at his disposal with a comfortable win despite making four changes.
“We are playing focussed, responsible and the team is progressing and maturing in everything,” said Emery.
Duran was finally handed his first start in either the Premier League or Champions League after scoring five times as a substitute this season.
– Set-piece specialists –
McGinn and England international Ezri Konsa returned from injury, while £35 million ($46 million) signing Ian Maatsen came in at left-back.
French international Boubacar Kamara made his return from a serious knee injury as a late substitute, while club captain Tyrone Mings was on the bench for the first time since suffering an ACL injury in August 2023.
Villa’s strength from set-pieces has been one of the keys to Emery’s transformation of the club from battling relegation to beating off Europe’s finest over the past two years.
McGinn’s enticing delivery did not even need a touch from the cluster of bodies in the box as the Scotland midfielder’s strike found the bottom corner to break the deadlock 10 minutes into the second half.
Nine minutes later, Duran made sure of the points with a clinical near-post finish from Morgan Rogers’ cross.
The combustible striker then showed his displeasure at being replaced by Ollie Watkins moments later as he punched the bench in frustration.
But that did not take the shine off another memorable night for Villa in their meteoric rise since Emery arrived in Birmingham.
Nine points may already be enough to secure a playoff place with five games to spare.
Only the bottom 12 in the 36-team table will be eliminated, but Villa’s sights are now on trying to secure a top-eight finish and automatic qualification for the last 16.
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© Agence France-Presse
Photo: James Baylis – AMA/Getty Images