BOLOGNA, Italy (Interstat) — Aston Villa delivered a commanding 3-1 away victory over Bologna FC 1909 in Europa League play on Thursday, defying a pregame projection.

The match at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara saw Villa’s substitutes dominate. Ezri Konsa opened the scoring in the 44th minute. Ollie Watkins, also entering off the bench, then scored twice, with his second coming deep in stoppage time after Jon Rowe added Villa’s third. Bologna’s lone reply came from a Jhon Lucumí-assisted strike in the 90th minute.

The result marked a strong start for Aston Villa in the competition, improving their overall season record. Bologna, meanwhile, begins its campaign with a loss. The outcome contrasted with a statistical simulation that had favored Bologna to win 2-1.