Lewis Ferguson of Bologna and Aston Villa's John McGinn(Image: Getty Images)

John McGinn's name was mentioned more than any other by Italian reporters at Bologna's pre-match press conference ahead of facing Aston Villa.

At least five questions were put to Vincenzo Italiano and McGinn's compatriot Lewis Ferguson, who were in attendance for the club's media briefing at Bologna's Renato Dall'Ara Stadium.

McGinn scored in both of Villa's wins over Bologna in the last 18 months, with his strike against them back in September being the only goal of the game.

That was Villa's first victory of the season after they went six games without a win in all competitions, before claiming 19 wins from their next 21 games.

After the turn of the new year, Villa's form dropped, and McGinn was out injured for two months before returning for the trip to Lille in the Europa League round of 16.

Scoring in the second-leg victory at Villa Park and then in a crucial 2-0 win over West Ham before the March international break, McGinn has again been the catalyst for the club's turnaround in form.

Both Italiano and...