1 day Ago By [email protected] (James Quinlan)
Aston Villa got their Champions League adventure off to a perfect start with goals from Youri Tielemans, Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana. A lively start from the hosts was put down by clinical, low strike from Tielemans - a joyous moment for Unai Emery , the players and all of those in claret and blue who travelled onto the continent to witness this historic return to the competition. A mistake from the opposition goalkeeper then allowed Ramsey to nip in for his first goal since returning from injury.
Strikers Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran looked to add to the advantage either side of the break, though saw their efforts overturned by VAR for handball infringements. Eventually though the third arrived - a piledriver from Onana, scoring again in Villa colours. Read More Related Articles Aston Villa boss Unai Emery makes Champions League vow after Gary Shaw message Read More Related Articles Aston Villa handed Ollie Watkins injury scare during Champions League clash vs Young Boys For a brief moment there was a chance to see Villa top the Champions League's new league phase table - that was at least until next opponents Bayern Munich managed to win 9-2.
That same flicker of hope also existed amongst last night's home support as they pushed to take an early lead, only to be silenced. So with that said, here is how the local media reported Young Boys' loss to Aston Villa: 'Joker' Duran public enemy number one National newspaper Blick wrote: "The Premier League stars and the YB fans clashed. After losing the Champions League opener, the Bernese audience in the packed Wankdorf stadium was mixed with disappointment and frustration.
The height of provocation: Villa joker Jhon Duran celebrated his supposed 3:0 right in front of the YB stadium, sprinted to the boards and raised his arms. The gesture only spurred the Bernese fans on even more. It was deafeningly loud in the Wankdorf.
It's a shame that this wasn't for sporting reasons. "Then the decision: the goal does not count because of a handball by Amadou Onana in the build-up. The fact that the score is still 0:2 instead of 0:3 in the 78th minute is the last straw for Bern.
Soon this too gives way. Onana's shot from outside the penalty area hits the post with millimetre precision. "The Belgian also took on the YB fans.
As he ran back to the halfway line, he turned around and made a provocative heart gesture. The English side said after the game that the YB fans were of course anything but innocent in the provocations." 'A terrible faux pas' National daily newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung wrote: "The Bernese will soon no longer be able to hide the fact that they are a fragile entity this season, still waiting for their first win of the season in the championship.
This is most clearly evident after 38 minutes. The English storm into the penalty area again, and when the ball eventually ends up at the feet of the Bernese, Mohamed Camara of all people makes a terrible faux pas. The defender comes up with the idea of playing a back pass in the middle of the danger zone.
Watkins jumps in and Jacob Ramsey benefits in the end. "So it was 0-2 after 38 minutes and two bad defensive errors from Bern: The game was still young, but already decided, because the English had no problem controlling it. The Young Boys were lucky to avoid two more goals, because the video referee disallowed them for handball.
It was only late, after 86 minutes, that Amadou Onana scored to make it 0-3. "It is the final point of an evening that, apart from the opening phase, had little positive to offer for the Young Boys - and to which goalie David von Ballmoos has the appropriate conclusion: They started well, but then they made too many mistakes that would be punished at this level." Tielemans MOTM but Villa 'unsportsmanlike' German language newspaper 20 Minuten wrote: "YB faced Aston Villa in the first game of the Champions League and lost 3-0.
The English team did not exactly prove to be fair winners. "Youri Tielemans was the man of the match at Aston Villa, and not just because of his opening goal to make it 1-0. The Belgian masterfully orchestrated the Premier League club's midfield and showed why he had already been celebrated as a super talent at Anderlecht in earlier times.
"The VAR saved YB from conceding a third goal twice and both times the referee rightly cancelled the goal due to a handball by a Villa player. After the supposed third goal in the final phase, Villa striker Duran sprinted directly in front of the YB curve and celebrated provocatively. The referee acknowledged the unsportsmanlike action with a yellow card.
After Onana actually scored the 3-0, he too celebrated directly in the direction of the Berne East Curve. Greatness in victory looks different." YB unable to produce another upset Bern-based newspaper Berner Zeitung wrote: "The impact is hard.
And it comes pretty quickly. After a lively start by YB in the sold-out Wankdorf, Aston Villa only needed two goals in the first half to take away all hope from the home team and its fans. "The Bernese lost 3-0 at the start of the Champions League.
In recent years, they have been a dangerous opponent for Europe's top clubs at home on artificial turf. They beat Juventus Turin and Manchester United, and in 2023 they put Manchester City under pressure for a long time. But this YB is not capable of such exploits.
"They may have been drawn against the Bernese from Pot four, but compared to them they are a heavyweight. The market value of their squad is estimated at 600 million euros - ten times as much as that of the Young Boys." Were Villa 'unsportsmanlike' against Young Boys? Have your say HERE Buy your special Aston Villa Champions League pull-out To mark the return of Aston Villa's status as a participant in Europe's elite club competition, we've produced this print special which is available to all supporters.
We look at how Unai Emery - who is no stranger to winning European trophies - can lead Villa deep into the competition, and the players who will be key to their campaign, while breaking down their opposition in the league stage. Of course, we also turn the clock back to 1982 and that famous win in Rotterdam. Order your copy here and get it delivered direct to your door.
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