Champions League: Aston Villa Decisively Beaten Young Boys 3-0
Aston Villa fans in prior attendance for the match enthusiastically welcomed the inaugural rendition of the Champions League anthem over the loudspeakers, an exuberance that was maintained post-match after witnessing their team’s solid victory against Young Boys. Jacob Ramsey, a Villa academy product since the tender age of six, was among the scorers, paying homage to the late Gary Shaw, the celebrated 1982 European Cup champion, whose name echoed throughout the game. Ramsey’s goal was a comedic incident, flanked by impressive efforts from Belgian duo Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana. Onana celebrated his third goal of the season.
The match was also not without drama, with Jhon Durán, who joined the match as a substitute, received a booking for inciting the ardent home fans stationed at one end of the stadium. Misbelieving he had continued his scoring spree to give Villa a 3-0 lead, Durán misguidedly celebrated by jumping onto the digital advertisement boards, earning him the ire of the home fans. His excitement soon turned into embarrassment when his goal was subsequently revoked minutes later.
On a high note, Tielemans had spoken of the optimism amongst Villa fans ahead of the game, and therefore a clear picture of how his goal would be welcomed from Berne to Birmingham and further afield. Following a corner from Lucas Digne to John McGinn, a curling cross was sent to Tielemans, who masterfully manipulated the ball before a low strike secured the goal. Aston Villa’s set-piece coach Austin MacPhee couldn’t contain his excitement at the edge of the Villa area.
Before this, Villa was on the back foot with their only notable chance being a shot by McGinn that went off target. The first significant save of the match was made by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who denied Ebrima Colley an early goal, as another attempt by Filip Ugrinic missed the mark. Villa initially struggled on the synthetic turf, with Ramsey switching his boots after just 18 minutes. This instigated frustration in Morgan Rogers, who glared at his own studded boots, and led to Pau Torres misjudging a simple pass.
Villa took control of the game thanks to Tielemans’s successful strike. Watkins, of the same team, was released by Rogers but fell short of a goal due to the pressure from the opposition in yellow, inducing a wayward shot. During the game, Niasse of Villa was carded for unfairly grappling with the relentless Onana.
Villa’s initial goal was the result of a well-executed plan, whereas the second was a farcical disaster from Young Boys’ viewpoint. Rogers’s pass directed towards Watkins was swept away by Zoukrou of Young Boys but a lack of urgency by Camara led to an ill-judged pass to his keeper, von Ballmoos. Unaware of Watkins’ proximity, he clumsily floored him. Respite from an inevitable penalty came when Ramsey rebounded the ball into the net for Villa’s second goal. As a sign of their appreciation, the away fans loudly serenaded Shaw. They repeated the catchy chant: “When Shaw has possession, he’s sure to deliver, Gary, Gary Shaw.”
In the 43rd minute, Watkins believed he had netted Villa’s third goal and celebrated with cheer, only for it to be disallowed due to a peculiar handball ruling. The decision seemed like a consolation for Young Boys whose performance had declined remarkably. Watkins’s first attempt was thwarted by Athekame of Young Boys but his second try soared into the net, allegedly with some assistance.
The second half of the match had less excitement. Bogarde was substituted with Carlos at half-time, which led to Emery moving Konsa to the position of right-back. Watkins came off after an hour for Durán, visibly disgruntled by the decision. Ramsey’s powerful shot was tipped over by von Ballmoos. On the other hand, Martínez managed to fend off Ganvoula’s attempt comfortably using both hands.
The match reached its peak with Durán smoothly scoring off a slick action, only to have another goal from Villa disallowed due to a handball foul. The official in charge, Georgi Kabakov, initially allowed the play to continue when Onana seemed to touch the ball mid-play, but it was eventually disqualified after a VAR review. This occurred subsequent to Durán’s unwise choice to exuberantly celebrate right before a packed end zone of Young Boys supporters. Eventually, Onana scored a third goal for his team with a powerful, low-range hit. – Guardian.