McGinn aims to finish in the top 5 of the Premier League alongside Aston Villa.

With goals from Watkins, Buendia, Morgan Rodgers, and Konsa, Aston Villa defeated Bologna 4-0 in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final tie to advance to the semi-finals in the 2025/26 season. Scottish midfielder McGinn expressed his delight at reaching the semi-finals and stated his commitment to helping the team achieve a top-five finish in the Premier League this season.

In the 16th minute, Morgan Rodgers crossed the ball into the box, and Watkins fired a low shot into the net, giving Aston Villa a 1-0 lead. In the 26th minute, Digne threw the ball into the penalty area, and Buendia received it, took a few steps, and then slotted it home, extending Aston Villa's lead over Bologna to 2-0.

In the 39th minute, McGinn delivered a diagonal pass, and Morgan Rodgers received the ball in the penalty area, dealing with the defense before slotting it into the net to make it 3-0 for Aston Villa. In the 89th minute of the second half, Douglas Luiz took a corner, Abraham headed the ball across, and Konsa turned and fired a shot into the net, securing a 4-0 lead for Aston Villa.

Aston Villa ultimately defeated Bologna 4-0 at home and advanced to the Europa League semi-finals with a 7-1 aggregate score.

Aston Villa midfielder McGinn said: "It was a fantastic performance, and we had to take the lead. Bologna is a very dangerous team away from home, and has been for many years. Taking the lead, coupled with a great first half, helped us advance to the semi-finals, and I'm very happy."

“They are a team that presses intensely, so passing forward becomes crucial. Last week we didn’t pass forward enough, but this time we attacked earlier and scored a beautiful goal.”

It is worth mentioning that England striker Watkins scored in this match, successfully reaching the milestone of his 100th career goal for Aston Villa.

McGinn said, "I'm happy for Watkins. This is a great achievement for a great club, and you can see how happy he was at the end of the game."

Furthermore, Aston Villa will host newly promoted Sunderland in the 33rd round of the Premier League. Currently, Aston Villa sits in 4th place with 55 points, so Emery's team only needs a win to maintain their chances of qualifying for the Champions League.

McGinn said, "The coach reminded us to respect Bologna and treat the game as if it started 0-0, but once we take the lead, we need to learn to take care of ourselves."

“We have an important match coming up. We have a goal of finishing in the top 5 in the league, and now we need to recover well for this match.”

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