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Aston Villa booked their place in the Europa League last 16 with an action-packed 1-0 win away to Fenerbahce.
Jadon Sancho’s first-half header – his first goal for Villa – ultimately clinched it, although the winger could easily have had two more, Matty Cash hit a post, while Marco Bizot pulled off some super saves at the other end, and both Villa and Fenerbahce saw goal celebrations cut short by VAR checks.
Dramatically, Kerem Akturkoglu’s strike on 75 minutes, which sent the home fans wild and looked to have boosted Fenerbahce’s own qualification hopes, was ruled out for an offside in the build-up by former Villa striker Jhon Duran. They are now heading for the play-offs.
Villa will avoid those extra two games, though. They are level on points at the top of the standings with Lyon, who won their penultimate fixture too, and have guaranteed a top-eight finish ahead of their final league phase game at home to RB Salzburg next week.
Villa’s sixth win in seven Europa League games this season was some way for Unai Emery to mark his 100th match managing a team in this competition. His prospects of a fifth triumph in the Europa League – and a return to Istanbul for the final – remain very much alive.
It could and perhaps should have been more straightforward, with poor touches from Sancho either side of half-time leading to him spurning good chances to add to his tally. VAR then spotted he had strayed offside prior to crossing for Ismail Yuksek to turn into his own net under pressure from Morgan Rogers.
Cash also fizzed a low shot against an upright during that second half, having earlier provided the deflected cross for Sancho to nod in.
There were subsequently nervous moments right through until the final whistle, with Bizot sharp to deny sub Talisca on multiple occasions as the game opened up.
The tension in the hot atmosphere of Fenerbahce’s rain-soaked stadium was plain to see when Emery clashed with Youri Tielemans as he was substituted in the final minutes. The head coach pushed the otherwise impressive midfielder and didn’t shake his hand as Tielemans exchanged words on the way past.
But regardless of that spat, Villa will be proud of how they bounced back from the weekend’s disappointing Premier League defeat to Everton to take a big step forwards in Europe.
Sancho on first Villa goal and improving under Emery
Aston Villa’s Jadon Sancho celebrates opening the scoring against Fenerbahce
Aston Villa winger Jadon Sancho to TNT Sports: “I’m happy to get my first goal for Aston Villa. I was pointing at Ezri [Konsa] at the end because in training we’ve been practising some headers.
“The manager and the team are helping me get to my best. I know I can do a lot more. I’m hard on myself in that aspect.
“[Emery] keeps telling me to be positive. It’s nice to have a manager that backs you and obviously believes in you. Hopefully I can deliver goals more.”
