RabiuOllie Watkins brings up Aston Villa 100 goals tally in vintage style vs Bologna
Ollie Watkins scored his 100th goal for Aston Villa against Bologna on Thursday night, and it was in typical trademark fashion from him.
The 30-year-old was one of four different Aston Villa goalscorers on Thursday evening, as Unai Emery‘s side coasted past Bologna to reach the Europa League semi-finals.
Indeed, it was Watkins who grabbed the first of the evening on 16 minutes, before Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers helped make it 3-0 by half-time, with the tie well won at that point.
Ezri Konsa put the cherry on the cake on 89 minutes, setting up an all-Premier League semi-final against Nottingham Forest over two legs.
However, Villa will first enjoy the win over Bologna, and Watkins certainly will, as it turned out to be a historic evening for him in B6.🏟️ VILLA MATCHDAY HUB 🏟️Line-ups, Predicted XIs, team news, tactical analysis, match verdicts, and form guides.
Ollie Watkins reaches 100 Aston Villa goals vs BolognaWatkins has divided opinion this season among fans and pundits alike, with the Villa striker not enjoying his best season by way of goals in 2025-26.
However, he is now into double-figure goals in all competitions, and is hoping to enjoy a strong finish to the season to book his place on England’s plane for this summer’s World Cup.
Watkins vs Bologna 2nd leg stats Result
Shots 2
Touches 19
Dribbles (successful) 1 (1)
Carries 7
Pass accuracy 92%
Per Sofascore
The experienced striker is in a rich vein of goalscoring form at the moment too, having now netted four goals in as many games in all competitions.
However, Thursday night’s quarter-final victory over Bologna saw him score one of his most important and significant Villa goals yet, as he’s now joined the Villa Park 100 club for career goals.
A superb achievement for the striker who was signed from Brentford back in the summer of 2020, and it was a strike that was typical Watkins.
Rogers drove the ball into the Bologna half before linking up with Buendia and Youri Tielemans outside the box, before eventually moving into the left-hand side of the penalty area.
He then squared the ball back across the six-yard box, and who was there anticipating a goalscoring opportunity like the poacher in the box he is? Watkins.
It’s the type of goal he’s scored oh so many of during his Aston Villa career, and so it was really fitting to see him bring up his 100 tally in this style against Bologna.
Watkins is a master of scoring goals inside the box
There haven’t been many better at finding space and anticipating where the ball is going to be inside the 18-yard box in the Premier League than Watkins over recent years.
Indeed, eight of his nine league goals this season have been in the box, and that’s not a fluke by any means.
Number of Ollie Watkins’ Premier League goals scored for Aston Villa from inside the box
Unbelievably, and as detailed via Sofascore, 82 of his 84 Premier League goals he’s scored as an Aston Villa player have been from inside the box.
Watkins is just a ridiculous operator inside the opposition 18-yard box, and highlights why even when he’s not in the best of form, his teammates must know that if they keep finding him in there, it’s only going to be a matter of time.
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