Ollie Watkins said he had to give his Aston Villa teammates a halftime wakeup call en route to their 3-1 first-leg Europa League quarterfinal victory over Bologna on Thursday.
Villa weathered a first-half storm from Bologna, who had a goal ruled out for offside through Santiago Castro before Lewis Ferguson struck the crossbar, but the English side stood firm and Ezri Konsa nodded the visitors in front before the break.
Watkins doubled Villa’s lead after the break, and Jonathan Rowe’s late strike looked to halve the deficit heading into next week’s second leg at Villa Park until Watkins’ stoppage time goal restored their two-goal advantage.
Bologna had 19 shots throughout the contest and enjoyed more possession, and the striker said his side were fortunate to be in front at halftime.
“It was massive,” he said. “First half they put us under a lot of pressure and were dominating the game. We got lucky, at halftime I said to the boys we got lucky and need to wake up.
“They had a disallowed goal and if that turned and stayed 1-0 it would have been a long way back because here they were playing tough today so we got lucky.”
Watkins took his season tally in all competitions to 12 goals which puts Villa in pole position to make a second European semifinal in their last three years.
“Back end of the season we are raring to go, I could play another 90 minutes now,” he said. “I’m excited for the last few games. Next week against these as well, I’m hungry.
“That goal at the end takes the sting out of the game and a two-goal lead going back to Villa Park we are going to make it tough for them. We have to keep pushing, we are in a good spot.”
The result gave Aston Villa an eighth straight Europa League win but manager Unai Emery said his side lived a charmed life in the first period particularly.
“Happy but getting balance in everything we played the first leg it is a fantastic result,” he told TNT Sports. “How we did in 90 minutes more or less I can feel good for something but not good for another way.
“In the first half we were a little bit shy. The result was better in the first half than the match we played, not brilliant. In the second half it was completely different. We started fantastic, started to dominate more and controlling the game like we planned in the first half but didn’t do.
“When we were feeling comfortable in the match they scored one goal but we reacted fantastic with the last corner and we scored.”
Aston Villa will now be strong favourites to progress when welcoming the Serie A side to Villa Park in a week’s time but Emery insisted they won’t take anything for granted.
“Still a fantastic result but still the second leg to play and I know they are dangerous because how they are competing is fantastic.
“The second leg they are going to try there to suppress us. Of course, my message in the dressing room is keep playing the second leg to plan, a new plan we will have but respecting them.”
PA contributed to this report.
