Ollie Watkins scored twice in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final, leading Aston Villa to a 3-1 away victory over Bologna. He described the win as crucial after the match. Just six minutes into the second half, Watkins added another goal to extend the lead. Although Jonathan Lowe pulled one back for the home side, Watkins sealed the victory in stoppage time.

After withstanding immense pressure from the home team in the first quarter, the 30-year-old spoke about the importance of seizing scoring opportunities, those crucial goals that helped Aston Villa secure a historic first victory in Italy.

Ollie Watkins said: "This victory is significant. Our opponents put a lot of pressure on us in the first half and dominated the game. I think we were a bit lucky. At halftime, I told my teammates that we had to pick ourselves up. They had a goal disallowed, and if the score had been 1-0 then, it would have been very difficult for us to turn things around. As you can see, the atmosphere here is very intense, and they played very tenaciously today."

“We scored from a set piece, which I think greatly reduced the suspense of the game. Near the end of the first half, they had the upper hand and created a very dangerous chance. Then we scored again in the second half, and from then on, we always showed the potential to continue scoring.”

Ollie Watkins, who has scored four goals in his last five appearances, spoke about his form and determination in the final stages of the season. The England striker netted his 98th and 99th goals against the Blaugrana. After the match, he looked ahead to the second leg, suggesting that Aston Villa's third goal could be decisive.

He added: "As the season draws to a close, I've fully found my form and can still play a full 90 minutes. I'm looking forward to the upcoming matches, including next week's rematch, and I'm eager to win. I think their wingers caused us a lot of trouble. However, that last goal largely ended the suspense and allowed us to return home with a two-goal lead."

Image source: Internet/Aston Villa official website