Defender Ezri Konsa admitted to feeling a sense of relief after Aston Villa secured their first win of the 2025-26 season in the Europa League against Bologna. John McGinn's early goal sealed the victory, giving Villa a strong start to the new season.  

The player noted that being competitive in Europe, as Aston Villa have been for the past three years, is no easy task, but he believes he and his teammates have coped well with the challenge posed by the Italian side.  

Ezri Konsa said: "I feel very reassured. I think playing in European competitions is always challenging. Bologna is a strong team. We played against them in the Champions League last season and we know their ability very well. You can see that we looked a little tired and our legs were heavy during the game, but we gritted our teeth and persevered, and we did a great job defending."  

"They put the ball into the box a lot and I thought we responded well defensively as a team. Unai Emery has always emphasized teamwork and he wants us to be more united. I think we did that at some points in the game. He was very happy with the unity and encouragement we showed throughout the game."  

This weekend, Fulham will travel to face Aston Villa in the Premier League. Ezri Konsa hopes the team can continue their strong European form and bring their winning spirit back to the domestic arena. The defender also acknowledged that Aston Villa still has room for improvement and stressed the team's commitment to giving their all in upcoming training sessions, striving for victory in every match.  

He added: "I still think the team needs to improve in many areas. We could have controlled the tempo of the game better and had the chance to score. The players on the field worked very hard to score, but unfortunately, it has not happened yet. Next, we have a lot of work to do and we must return to the training ground tomorrow to prepare and focus on facing the game on Sunday."