Aston Villa’s sparkling season has continued as they equalled a long-standing club record with to a 2-0 win over Bologna in the Champions League.
Goals from John McGinn and Jhon Duran extended Villa’s unbeaten run across all competitions to ten games, with their last defeat coming against Arsenal in August.
McGinn scored the opener for Villa against BolognaGetty
McGinn scored directly from an in-swinging free-kick wide on the right that evaded everyone in the box as Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski was too late to react.
Duran doubled Villa’s advantage nine minutes later when he intelligently moved across his marker and poked home a Morgan Rogers cross.
The Bologna win preserved Villa’s perfect record in the Champions League having already beaten Young Boys and Bayern Munich.
This means Villa end Tuesday night top of the pile in the overall table having obtained maximum points from their three matches.
It meant the west Midlands outfit have equalled their longest streak of consecutive wins in Europe’s elite club competition.
Villa previously strung three straight wins together from September to October in 1981.
The claret and blue faithful will no doubt view that as a positive omen given they went on to win the European Cup that same season.
Villa overcame Bayern Munich 1-0 in the 1982 European Cup final and the triumph remains the club’s greatest achievement.
It’s not just the win streak that has placed into rarefied Champions League air, either.
The clean sheet against Bologna ensured Villa became just the third side since the Champions League rebrand in 92/93 to have won their opening three games without conceding.
Duran scored his first Champions League goal for VillaPA Wire
Malaga was the first to accomplish the feat in the 12/13 campaign while fellow Premier League side Leicester City did the same in the 16/17 season.
MORE TO COME…