Young Boys 0-3 Aston Villa: Youri Tielemans, Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana net as Unai Emery’s side win first Champions League match in 41 years
In the week Aston Villa lost a homegrown hero, it was fitting that another local boy should help them make a perfect start to their first campaign in this competition for more than four decades.
Throughout their side’s win over Young Boys, the 1,600 Villa fans who travelled to Bern sang the name of Gary Shaw, who died on Monday aged 63. One of the club’s finest forwards, Shaw was a vital part of the Villa side who lifted the European Cup in 1982 and though Jacob Ramsey has some way to go to emulate that, he is certainly on the right track.
Like Shaw, Ramsey has progressed through the youth ranks at Villa and the powerful midfielder claimed the vital second goal six minutes before half-time.
Earlier, Youri Tielemans had become the first Villa player to score in this competition – once the European Cup, now rebranded the Champions League – since Peter Withe did so in the quarter-final defeat by Juventus in March 1983. Amadou Onana put the seal on it in the closing stages.
Ollie Watkins had a goal ruled out following a curious VAR handball call, and his replacement Jhon Duran also had one chalked off. Luckily for Villa, it did not matter, though Duran – the king of chaos – needlessly wound up the home fans by climbing on the barrier and celebrating in front of them after believing he had made it 3-0.
Villa’s players wore black armbands in memory of Shaw and the club will pay tribute once more when they face Wolves at Villa Park on Sunday. Next in this competition, Villa take on Bayern Munich – the team they beat in Rotterdam to win this trophy 42 years ago – at home on October 2. It will be a much more demanding challenge than this yet with their current form and manager Unai Emery’s European expertise, Villa will feel ready for anything.
Given the surface and the build-up, perhaps it was no surprise Villa made an untidy start. They looked tentative at the back, with right-back Lamare Bogarde finding the going particularly tough against Young Boys’ lively winger Ebrima Colley.
After Bogarde was exposed on the right, Emi Martinez saved well from Colley and after Bogarde failed to clear properly, Filip Ugrinic shot just wide from the edge of the box.
Villa could not get going and with Young Boys targeting Bogarde, they had two more promising openings. Joauen Hadjam powered into the box from left-back but could not pick out a team-mate, and Colley produced a spectacular effort from an angle that landed on the roof of the net.
Slowly but surely, Unai Emery’s men found their rhythm and took the lead through a cleverly-worked corner routine. Lucas Digne played it short to John McGinn and when the ball was clipped beyond the far post, nobody had picked up Tielemans. The Belgian had time to take a guide before steering his effort through a crowd and into the bottom corner.
A brilliant flick from Morgan Rogers then sent Ollie Watkins clean through, only for the England forward to make a mess off his finish. Moments later, Ramsey’s effort from 20 yards was too close to goalkeeper David van Ballmoos.
Ramsey did not have to wait long for his first Champions League goal. Instead of making a straightforward clearance, Mohamed Ali Camara tried to pass back to Van Ballmoos. Watkins stole possession, was brought down and as the referee played advantage, Ramsey guided it home off the post.
Now Villa were rampant. Watkins’ point-blank effort was blocked by Zachary Athakame and not long afterwards, he thought he had Villa’s third. Watkins netted at the second attempt after his first hit Banhie Zoukrou. Bizarrely, the goal was ruled out after a VAR check, even though seemed to have rebounded against Watkins’ chest – rather than his arm – before he struck it. Watkins made this point forcefully to referee Georgi Kabakov at the end of the half.
The visitors continued to look assured after the break and Emery could even afford to take off Watkins after an hour, sending on Duran. Watkins did not look especially thrilled with the decision but Emery will doubtless argue he needs last season’s top scorer fresh on Saturday.
Ramsey nearly had his second midway through the half with a rising drive shortly after McGinn’s shot had been charged down, but Van Ballmoos made a fine stop.
Young Boys had barely threatened since Villa’s opener and when they finally showed signs of life, Martinez did well to push away Silvere Ganvoula’s strike from the edge of the box.
Duran had come on for Watkins after an hour and the Colombian simply cannot avoid the limelight. He swept home brilliantly from the edge of the box and then decided to rile the Young Boys fans behind the goal by jumping on the barrier and staring them down, arms aloft.
It was a foolish thing to do and Duran, who was booked, was left looking even sillier when the goal was cancelled because of an Onana handball at the start of the move. Onana had his moment four minutes from time with a sweet strike into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
