Aston Villa vs Bologna ref watch: What Jesus Gil Manzano got wrong during Europa League clash
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(Credit: Imago, El Dia Despues por Movistar Plus+ on YouTube)
Oliver Walton
Thu 25 September 2025 22:45, UK
Aston Villa’s first win of the season against Bologna was full of action for Jesus Gil Manzano to deal with as each side tried to get off to a perfect start in the Europa League.
Aston Villa went in front in the 13th minute as a failed corner routine saw Charalambos Lykogiannis’ clearance fall to John McGinn before he sent the ball into the bottom-right corner from outside the box to give his side the advantage.
The hosts had the best chance to score again in the second-half as Ollie Watkins won a penalty in the 66th minute, but his weak spot-kick was easily saved by Lukasz Skorupski to keep his side in it, but that was how it ended as Villa beat Bologna 1-0.
Spanish match referee Jesus Gil Manzano kept the players in line and officiated with authority for the majority of the clash, but he also got a number of decisions wrong, and Football Insider have picked out three that should have gone a different way.
Boubacar Kamara should have been booked in the first half (Credit Imago)
Villa allowed Bologna to have a better spell of possession in the lead up to the interval, and one of the visitors’ breaks towards goal should have seen Boubacar Kamara pick up a booking.
The France international bullishly stopped Danish striker Jens Odgaard in his tracks as he entered the Villans’ final third in the 34th minute, and while Gil Manzano did give a free-kick to Bologna, he failed to produce a deserved yellow card to Kamara.
Kamara played well but should have been booked (Credit Imago)
He clearly knew that he was on his last warning after the foul, as he did not commit another for the rest of the game despite playing the full 90 minutes in the middle of the park.
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Jadon Sancho joined Villa on loan from from Man United in the summer, and this was his first chance to prove himself in European competition for the club after being a part of Chelsea‘s Conference League triumph last term.
He entered as a substitute in the 58th minute and soon set about trying to make chances to double his side’s lead, but looked like he may have had to come off with 11 minutes of normal time left as Santiago Castro caught him with a high foot after thundering into a challenge.
Instead of blowing for what was a clear Villa free-kick as replays showed that Sancho won it first, Gil Manzano actually pointed the other way and handed the visitors a reprieve rather than giving the hosts a set-piece in a dangerous attacking area, much to the surprise of many at Villa Park.
The match official lost a little bit of control late on in the game as the game stretched and both teams looked tired, and Morgan Rogers was another Villa man who should have been shown a yellow card, yet managed to avoid being penalised.
Rogers had another off-night against Bologna – Credit: IMAGO.
Rogers has been in poor form at the start of 2025-26, and it continued against Bologna as he seemingly took his frustration out on Jhon Lucumi with a late, full-blooded challenge five minutes from time.
The England winger may have tried to win the loose ball before the Bologna centre-back, but he did not, and instead caught Lucumi on the foot with his studs up with a tackle that definitely deserved a booking at the very least from Gil Manzano.