Catch all the drama from Aston Villa vs the little boys in the Europa League…
Aston Villa moved a step closer to qualifying for the first round of the Europa League with a 2-1 win over the underdogs at Villa Park.
It was a hard fought result with an outstanding half performance and clinical display from Donyell Malen, who got both goals.
The Swiss side rallied late and cut the deficit through substitute Joel Monteiro, but Villa’s control beyond the first hour was eventually enough to secure the points.
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Villa set the tone from the opening whistle, quickly emphasizing control with the young lads defending deep.
Malen checked Keller Keller within three minutes, before Madou Onana and Malen himself came close to the first chances. The young boys struggled to develop the ball in Midfield and instead looked long with limited success.
The breakthrough came on 27 minutes and it came. Zoutiemans of Youriemans held his position on the right, passing Bogarde before delivering a balancing cross that camped in a dangerous area.
Malen, having just missed a gilt-edged chance up front, made amends with a straight header into the bottom right corner.
Malen then doubled the lead just before the break, to pay the standing ovation. Morgan Roger came from deep, weaving past challenges before sliding the ball across to Lelen, who switched inside and sent a controlled finish across Keller.
The young men failed to muster a clear shot in the first half, a clear indication of Villa’s dominance.
There was a brief stoppage due to crowd disturbances, and Malen was hit with objects from the crowd after scoring his first goal, but there was not much focus on Villa.
The hosts continued to create opportunities, Sancho was denied by the last block in the stoppage time as Villa pressed for a third time before half time.
The second part
The pattern continued after the restart. SANGO forced Keller to be a smart low light following a defensive error, and Malen had a hat-trick goal that was ruled out.
As the hour mark passed, the younger boys began to tire and both managers turned to their benches. Villa introduced Buendia, watkins, barkley and Konsa, while the visitors put new legs in the attack with vonginali, swenches and the latest bedia and Moteiro.
With 20 minutes to go, the young men threatened on the way back from the set and scored within seconds of his introduction, but the var confirmed that the first cross had come from a close range.
Villa responded with a sustained attack, watkins piercing Keller’s gloves and sancho slicing wide after breaking down the defensive line.
In the end the visitors finally found a foothold in the near term. A long ball in the air finds Montteiro, who rubs off his marker and chests very well before unleashing a powerful volley past Martinez.
It sets up a tense finish, and the whistles blow at Villa Park as the hosts work to see out the final minutes. Maatseben was booked for a long time – but Unai Emery’s side held on with great success.
