An early goal from John McGinn helped Aston Villa to kick off their Europa League campaign with a gritty 1-0 group-stage win over Bologna on Thursday, while Olivier Giroud came off the bench to nod in a late winner in Lille’s dramatic 2-1 triumph against SK Brann, Reuters reported.

Scottish midfielder McGinn's decisive goal came in the 13th minute, setting Villa off to a positive start in their European campaign at Villa Park.

McGinn broke the deadlock when a cleverly worked short corner found him in space outside the box. With precision, he struck a low shot that nestled into the bottom corner, leaving Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski rooted to the spot, according to Reuters.