Villa win the Europa league as Dave Woodhall celebrates.
Some days are better than others. We’ve had a few ups and downs this season and there’s always been the sneaking feeling that Villa will fall short right at the end. You can forget about that now, as we not only performed on the big stage but did so with a flair that bordered on disdain for our game but outmatched opponents.
The Villa team was expected, with Victor Lindelof keeping his place, although it later transpired that Emiliano Martinez had broken a finger in the warm-up. An injured keeper – those parallels with 1982 just keep coming.
Villa certainly started the livelier of the teams, at least until their rhythm was shaken thanks to a series of fouls called by the referee, who seemed determined to be the star of the show. Emiliano Buendia and Matty Cash were both booked as Freiburg’s players made the most of their advantage, going down with what seemed to be career-ending injuries at every opportunity.
Villa gradually got back on top again but still didn’t threaten much danger until the forty-second minute, when another corner routine was volleyed in by Youri Tielemans. Not long to go until half-time and perceived wisdom would have been to keep the game tight until the break and deny Freiburg any chance to get back into the match.
Instead, Villa kept pressing and with almost the last kick of the half Buendia hit an edge of the box curling shot worthy of this or any other occasion. Two up at half-time and there was, naturally, a firm belief that they were bound to mess up eventually. After all, this is Aston Villa, a way of life whose language has no room for the phrase “Doing it the easy way”.
But, incredibly, this time they did. On 58 minutes the Villa winger prepared to venture down the left, beat his man and put a good ball in for the England international. Again.
And the rest of the match was part-procession, part-celebration. Amadou Onana came on and hit the post while Buendia went frustratingly close to adding another. Unai even brought on Jadon Sancho to give the opposition a chance, to no avail.
More markedly there were late cameos for Tyrone Mings and Douglas Luiz, and it wasn’t hard to imagine that this was to provide both men with a final opportunity. Both have given much to the Villa, and both deserved to be there at the end.
The ref’s final act of mercy to Freiburg was to add just a minute of stoppage time, and as that ended his whistle was the cue for the celebrations to begin. Buendia rightly won man of the match but there was a strong claim for John McGinn, while Unai deserves a special Man of the Decade award. This is his trophy, but more than anything this is his club. He has tackled every obstacle placed before him and come out on top. Tonight was vindication that he can be a winner in England.
It was also vindication for the Villa as well as for two wealthy businessmen who ten years ago looked at an under-performing football club on the verge of going out of business and thought they could do something with them. Gentlemen, thank you.
