Resilient Aston Villa triumphantly returned to the pinnacle of European football after 41 years, besting Swiss champs Young Boys.
Unai Emery’s crew initially found their footing on the unfamiliar artificial turf in Bern. Youri Tielemans shattered the deadlock with a slick corner routine, netting a laser into the far corner.
Villa’s second came from a comedy of errors in the home defense. Ollie Watkins pounced on Mohamed Ali Camara’s errant pass intended for keeper David von Ballmoos, allowing Jacob Ramsey to slot one in off the post.
A close shave with VAR came just before halftime; Watkins’ thunder strike was chalked off for handball.
Silvere Ganvoula and Filip Ugrinic tested Emi Martinez in the second half. A left-footed strike from substitute Jhon Duran was also called back due to handball, yet Belgian midfielder Onana’s low finish put the final touches on a serene victory for Emery’s side.
Villa’s black armbands honored striker and 1982 European Cup victor Gary Shaw, who passed away on Monday after a severe fall.
Shaw’s image adorned the big screen pre-kickoff, with both fans engaging in a heartfelt round of applause in his memory.
Villa’s Sizzling European Kick-off
Villa fans swarmed Switzerland, eager to witness the club’s first high-level European showdown since 1983. Tony Barton’s champions had been ousted by Juventus back then.
Facing upcoming clashes with football giants Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and Juventus in the revamped league phase, these three points were vital for Emery’s outfit. Nonetheless, a few heart-pounding moments early on saw Young Boys nearly shake things up.
Ebrima Colley fired twice, forcing Martinez into a sharp low save and almost notching a spectacular long-range curler.
Once Tielemans, fed by John McGinn, smashed them ahead, Villa never looked back, marking a historic European goal since Peter Withe.
Ramsey edged their lead to two. Watkins had a tally disallowed due to an arm touch from Tanguy Zoukrou deflecting his initial shot back onto him.
That call hardly halted their momentum; Villa continued to pressure post-interval.
Duran, fresh from a jaw-dropping Premier League winner against Everton, thought he had netted his fourth of the season with 10 minutes to go, only for the ball to hit Onana’s hand, negating the play per referee Georgi Kabakov’s ruling.
Onana redeemed himself, tying a neat bow on what was an exhilarating evening for the Villains, joining ranks with Manchester United, Newcastle, and Leicester as English sides winning their Champions League openers.
A solitary sour note lingered as Watkins appeared to suffer an ankle injury, seen icing it post-substitution for Duran at the hour mark.
