Aston Villa Make Champions League Return With Comfortable 3-0 Win At Young Boys

Published

2 years ago

September 17, 2024

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Aston Villa Make Champions League Return With Comfortable 3-0 Win At Young Boys—-Aston Villa have started their Champions League campaign with a convincing 3-nil win away from home against Young Boys, Villa’s first appearance since 1983.

Aston Villa paid the perfect tribute to former striker Gary Shaw as they enjoyed a dream Champions League debut with a 3-0 win at Young Boys.

Villa’s return to the top table of European football was overshadowed by Monday’s death of Shaw, a golden boy of the club’s past success at this level when he helped them to European Cup glory in 1982.

Boss Unai Emery told his current crop before the game to win it for Shaw and they listened as they began life in the modernised competition in style thanks to goals from Youri Tielemans, Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana.

It was the ideal start to the revamped 32-team league format, where the top 24 sides have a chance to progress, but perhaps their real introduction to the Champions League will come when they host Bayern Munich in a fortnight.

For now, Villa’s fans, who were watching their side in the Championship just five years ago, are enjoying the journey under Emery as they chanted ‘we are top of the league’.

Young Boys are no strangers to this competition, having beaten Manchester United three years ago, but they came into the game sitting bottom of the Swiss Super League after a winless opening six games.

They did force their Premier League opponents back in the opening 20 minutes, with Ebrima Colley testing Emiliano Martinez with a low shot and Filip Ugrinic firing the rebound wide.

They took the lead in the 27th minute as Tielemans became the first Villa goalscorer in the top tier of European football since Peter Withe in 1983.

It was a set-piece masterclass as the Belgium international peeled off at the far post from a corner, took down John McGinn’s delivery on his chest and drove home into the far corner.

Ollie Watkins could have made it 2-0 immediately after as he raced clear on goal, but he stuttered and only got a weak shot in under pressure from defenders.

But from then on, it was all Villa and two goals in 11 minutes saw them grasp control.

The England striker was involved in Villa’s second as he intercepted a suicidal backpass from Mohamed Ali Camara and took a clattering from goalkeeper David von Ballmoos. Referee Georgi Kabakov played advantage and Ramsey passed into an empty net from three yards.

Watkins thought he had got on the scoresheet during a rampant Villa spell, but his drilled effort was ruled out after VAR spotted a harsh-looking handball in the build-up.

Villa continued to press in the second half with Von Ballmoos producing a flying save to deny Ramsey.

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BREAKING: Bruno Fernandes on Target as Manchester United Thrash Azerbaijan Outfit in Champions League Opener

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2 days ago

September 11, 2026

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BREAKING: Bruno Fernandes on Target as Manchester United Thrash Azerbaijan Outfit in Champions League Opener—-Manchester United made a commanding return to Europe’s elite competition as goals from Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes, Benjamin Šeško and Lisandro Martínez secured a 4-0 victory over Sabah Masazir at Old Trafford.

Manchester United marked their return to the UEFA Champions League in emphatic fashion, cruising to a 4-0 victory over Azerbaijani champions Sabah Masazir at Old Trafford on Thursday night.

Michael Carrick’s side took control of the contest after a cautious opening spell before eventually breaking through in the 27th minute. Matheus Cunha opened the scoring after Patrick Dorgu’s delivery created the opportunity for the Brazilian to put United ahead.

The hosts quickly took advantage of their growing dominance, with captain Bruno Fernandes doubling the advantage in the 42nd minute.

United then struck again before the interval as Benjamin Šeško found the back of the net to give the Red Devils a commanding 3-0 lead at halftime.

Sabah, appearing in the Champions League main phase for the first time in their history, struggled to cope with United’s attacking pressure and the quality of the Premier League side.

The Azerbaijani champions had a chance to pull one back during the contest, but United’s defence remained firm, with goalkeeper Senne Lammens also called upon to protect the clean sheet.

United eventually added a fourth in the 68th minute when Lisandro Martínez capitalised on confusion inside the Sabah defence to complete the rout.

The victory gives Manchester United an ideal start to their Champions League campaign after returning to Europe’s premier club competition for the first time since 2023. The result also provides a major confidence boost for Carrick’s squad ahead of Sunday’s highly anticipated Manchester derby against Manchester City.

For Sabah, the heavy defeat brought a difficult end to an otherwise historic night. The club, founded in 2017, earned their place in the Champions League after winning the Azerbaijani title and progressing through the qualifying rounds. Their appearance at Old Trafford represented their first-ever match in the main phase of the competition.

United will now look to build on the impressive European victory as they continue their Champions League campaign, while Sabah will aim to regroup for their upcoming fixtures against some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

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BREAKING: Arsenal Defeat Chelsea 2-1 at Emirates to Extend Unbeaten Run

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7 days ago

September 6, 2026

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BREAKING: Arsenal Defeat Chelsea 2-1 at Emirates to Extend Unbeaten Run—-The Gunners came from behind after Morgan Rogers’ early opener, with Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard completing a comeback victory to maintain Arsenal’s perfect start to the Premier League season.

Arsenal produced another statement performance at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, coming from behind to defeat Chelsea 2-1 and maintain their perfect start to the Premier League campaign.

Chelsea stunned the home crowd after just 77 seconds, when Morgan Rogers fired Xabi Alonso’s side into an early lead. Arsenal, however, responded strongly and gradually took control of the contest.

Kai Havertz restored parity in the 25th minute against his former club, finishing Arsenal’s sustained pressure to make it 1-1 before the break.

The Gunners continued to dominate after the restart and completed the comeback through captain Martin Ødegaard, who struck early in the second half after Havertz’s clever movement helped create the opening.

Chelsea pushed desperately for an equaliser late on, but Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya produced a crucial save to deny Estêvão and preserve all three points for the hosts.

The victory means Arsenal remain on nine points from three matches, level with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. Chelsea, meanwhile, suffer their first league defeat of the season and remain on six points.

For Mikel Arteta, the comeback further underlined Arsenal’s championship credentials. The reigning champions showed composure after conceding their first goal of the campaign and once again demonstrated their ability to respond under pressure.

Chelsea’s defeat will be frustrating for Alonso, particularly after his side made such a fast start. Despite their attacking threat, Arsenal’s control and defensive resilience ultimately proved decisive.

The result also extends Arsenal’s remarkable unbeaten run against Chelsea to 12 matches across all competitions, further strengthening the Gunners’ recent dominance in the London derby.

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