Villa make perfect start on Champions League return after 41-year absence
Aston Villa made a stylish return to the Champions League with a 3-0 win
at Swiss side Young Boys on Tuesday in their first game in the tournament for
41 years.
Villa boss Unai Emery had urged his team to take three points in Bern as
a tribute to the club's former striker Gary Shaw, who died on Monday aged 63
after being injured in a fall.
Shaw's tragic death carried extra poignancy as he was a key member of
the Villa side that shocked Bayern Munich in the 1982 European Cup final.
A picture of Shaw celebrating Peter Withe's winner against Bayern adorns
Villa's training ground and the players wore black armbands during their
Champions League opener in memory of the local hero.
Clad in the number eight shirt that Shaw made his own at Villa, it was
fitting that Youri Tielemans opened the scoring against Young Boys and
celebrated by pointing to his jersey.
Jacob Ramsey bagged Villa's second goal before the interval and Amadou
Onana added the third in the closing stages as Emery's men eased to a victory
four decades in the making.
Villa are back in the Champions League after surprisingly finishing
fourth in the Premier League last term.
Clashes with Bayern Munich and Juventus await among their remaining
seven fixtures in the revamped league stage of the competition.
But this cathartic victory will forever hold a special place for Villa
fans given their remarkable return to relevance since Emery was hired to
replace the sacked Steven Gerrard in 2022.
Just five years ago, Villa were stuck in English football's second tier,
with dreams of facing Europe's elite reserved for only the most optimistic
supporters.
Anticipation over their first Champions League tie since 1983 had been
building for months and the Villa fans crammed into a corner of the Wankdorf
Stadium let out a jubilant roar when the tournament anthem was played before
kick-off.
Prince William, a noted Villa fan, sent Emery's team a good luck message
ahead of their "European adventure" and his team responded with a
well-drilled display on the Wankdorf's treacherous artificial pitch.
The meticulous Emery changed Villa's preparations by flying to Bern
early to train at the stadium on Monday, a move that paid dividends once they
survived an early Young Boys raid.
Ebrima Colley's stinging strike forced a fine save from Emiliano
Martinez, who breathed a sigh of relief when Filip Ugrinic dragged the rebound
narrowly wide.
Villa took the lead in the 27th minute with a clever short corner
routine.
Lucas Digne passed to John McGinn who lofted his cross towards the
unmarked Tielemans on the far side of the area.
The Belgian midfielder took a composed touch and drilled a low shot
through a crowd of players into the bottom corner from 12 yards.
Austin MacPhee, Villa's set-piece coach, punched the air in delight at
his successful scheme, while Tielemans celebrated the club's first Champions
League goal since their 1983 quarter-final exit against Juventus.
Villa doubled their advantage in the 38th minute thanks to an unexpected
gift from the hosts.
Deep inside his own area, Mohamed Ali Camara bizarrely passed back to
David von Ballmoos even though the Young Boys keeper was instantly under
pressure from Watkins.
Von Ballmoos' panicked challenge up-ended Watkins, who lay prone on the
turf as Ramsey pounced on the loose ball and slotted home from close-range.
Villa were largely able to
cruise through the second half, with Onana capping a night to remember when the
Belgian midfielder smashed a 20-yard drive past Von Ballmoos in the 86th
minute.
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