Unai Emery and Aston Villa announced their return to the Champions League after 41 years. Villa kicked-off their Champions League journey with 3-0 victory over Swiss champions, Young Boys. The Premier League club were an absolute delight to watch throughout the game. Unai Emery’s side put up a dominating performance with clinical finishing. Villa’s last outing in European competition at this level was back in 1982, when they famously lifted the European Cup. It is a pleasure for football fans to watch these European giants getting back to their glory. The atmosphere of the game told the whole story and Villa fans are ready for more to come.
Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey has been an important player for the Unai Emery’s side. After coming from the club’s academy, Ramsey played a pivotal role in this victory. Ramsey scored the second goal of the night, which was clearly a big moment for the home grown talent. The midfielder continues to impress in this Aston Villa squad under the tactics of Unai Emery. Ramsey’s strike capitalized on a defensive error by Young Boys as the midfielder slotted the ball into the net with ease. The growth of Aston Villa’s youth academy is a positive sign for the club after producing many key players over the years.
Tielemans shines on his Champions League debut
Aston Villa’s first goal came from a well-executed set-piece. Youri Tielemans scored the first goal for Villa with a fine shot. Moreover, the Belgian midfielder played a key role in controlling the game and provide stability in the midfield.
According to the Guardian, Aston Villa had a slow start to the game. The team initially struggled to adapt to the synthetic pitch, with misplaced passes in the early phase of the game. However, Tielemans’ goal gave the Premier League team their confidence back, which snowballed into a dominating performance.
The attackers and midfielders of Aston Villa did their job on the night. However, the defensive organization and the performance of goalkeeper, Emiliano Martínez, also played a key role in securing the victory. Martínez made a crucial save early on in the game to keep the score level, denying Ebrima Colley. The Argentinian goalkeeper showed no signs of stopping after winning the Copa America with Argentina in the summer. The defense of Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa gave players the much needed confidence and assurance by putting up a strong display. The game had some nervy moments, however, Emery’s men adapted well to the situation.
Champions League drama continues
Despite the scoreline, Aston Villa could have won by an even bigger margin if it were not for the two disallowed goals, both for handball. Ollie Watkins’ goal was ruled out before the half-time mark, which would have made it 3-0 for the Villains even before the end of the first half. Moreover, the second disallowed goal came when Jhon Durán, a substitute, found the back of the net but the goal did not stand after a VAR check. Amadou Onana, another summer signing, scored the third and winning goal of the night for Aston Villa. Onana is becoming a a key figure for the club moving forward.
While Aston Villa’s performance was impressive, Young Boys’ defensive gaps were exposed throughout the match. There was miscommunication and silly errors in the Young Boy’s defense throughout the game. Aston Villa’s 3-0 victory over Young Boys was a statement win on their return to European football. All the Premier League teams are unbeaten in their first game of the Champions League. However, only Liverpool and Aston Villa managed to win their first games. Manchester City had a draw against Inter Milan. Moreover, Arsenal also managed to draw their first game against Italian team, Atlanta. Aston Villa will face Wolves in the Premier League in their next game.
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