Villa start their Champions League campaign by beating Young Boys, with Dave Woodhall watching.
Six years ago tomorrow, on 19th September 2019, Villa played a league match at home to Rotherham. The team came onto the Villa Park pitch to a half-hearted reception from supporters who were getting a bit tired of playing The Likes Of Rotherham. Tonight’s pre-match entertainment climaxed with the Champions League anthem. What a journey.
Full credit to Young Boys for the much-appreciated tribute to Gary Shaw before kick-off and also credit for the way they came at Villa from the start. They made full use of their familiarity with the artificial surface and Emiliano Martinez needed to be alert a couple of times before Villa started to make their class tell. Yet another well-rehearsed corner found Youri Tielemans unmarked and it was fate in this of all weeks that the Villa number eight scored our first Champions League goal.
Unai Emery had picked a full-strength side, presuably in the hope of getting some early points in the extended group stages, and his decision appeared to have been proved correct. Once the first goal went in Villa were in total control. Jacob Ramsey made an opportunity for himself with a shot that was saved and then some calamitous defending by the Swiss side culminated in the keeper bringing down Ollie Watkins, the ball fell to Ramnsey and he doubled Villa’s lead. There was also a nod to Villa’s history in this competition when the goal went in off the post.
Watkins then had another couple pf chances, scoing one of them only for the goal to be inexplicably disallowed for handball but that was no great setback. Villa began the second half much as they had played throughout the first and there was a bizarre incident when Jhon Duran scored his obligatory goal only for it to also be disallowed for handball, against Amadou Onana six passes earlier. If I were a conspiracy theorist I’d be starting to think that match officials will be against us throughout the tournament.
Again, no matter because with four minutes remaining Onana got Villa’s third with a long-range shot and this time there was no excuse for it to be ruled out. Not only did Emery start with his best XI, most of them finished it as well. Diego Carlos came on at half-time and Duran made his usual appearance on the hour mark but the other three substitions were of the ‘run the clock down with a couple of minutes to go’ variety. It might have seemed odd with the game won and another big outing due at the weekend but you don’t question Unai Emery’s decisions.
And so the Champions League campaign started as well as could have been hoped. Three points, further proof that Villa’s mifield is as good as any in this competiton, no more than a slight injury doubt to Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran being booked for celebrating a goal that didn’t count. One day he’ll have a normal, event-free game but such an eventually seems a long way off. That aside, it was the perfect evening. As Unai as much as said, this one was for you, Gary.
