Aston Villa’s first Champions League game since 1982/83 ended in an emphatic 3-0 victory away to Swiss side Young Boys.
The Villans were superb after initially struggling to adapt to the plastic pitch used at the Wankdorf Stadium, an unfamiliar surface given they play on the carpets of the Premier League week in, week out.
After negating a tough first 25 minutes or so, Unai Emery’s side grew into the game, eventually opening the scoring through a well-worked set piece. The Midlands club outsmarted the Swiss champions, with Youri Tielemans finding space from a John McGinn cross to volley home from inside the penalty box.
Moments later, Jacob Ramsey doubled his side’s lead, pouncing on a scrappy piece of defending to slot home in composed fashion. Ollie Watkins thought he added a third but his goal was disallowed due to handball.
Villa dominated the second half, too. Jhon Duran, who has been in superb form this season, had a goal of his own ruled out after a handball from Amadou Onana in the build-up. Onana did add the third, however, with a well-struck effort from outside the area which nestled in the corner.
It was a dominant win for the Villans, with some standout performances along the way.
Villa’s attacking threat vs. Young Boys
The away side were certainly destructive in their attacking play against their Swiss opposition on Tuesday night. According to Sofascore, they had 20 shots on Young Boys’ goal, hitting the target seven times and forcing five saves out of goalkeeper David von Ballmoos.
Their performance was so impressive that the Villans actually exceeded their expected goals tally. Emery’s side had an expected goals total of 2.18, but, of course, scored three times thanks to strikes from Tielemans, Ramsey and Onana.
It was certainly a clinical evening for the Villans, who can be pleased with their night’s work. They tested the goalkeeper plenty of times and managed to score their only big chance of the game. It no doubt made for pleasant viewing for Emery.
Among all of the good performances from the Premier League side, there was one player who stood out compared to all of the rest. That player is Villa academy graduate Ramsey.
Ramsey’s stats against Young Boys
Making his second consecutive start for the Villans after playing from the off against Everton in last weekend’s 3-2 win, Ramsey was able to score his first goal in the Champions League for his boyhood club and immediately looked at home on the biggest stage.
It was a chaotic finish after he pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area, which he brought out from under Watkins’ body, who was languishing on the ground after being tripped up. The Villa number 41 showed great composure as he slotted the ball into the far corner to double his side’s advantage.
Indeed, it was such an impressive performance from the 23-year-old midfielder that he earned an 8/10 rating from Goal journalist Richard Mills. He pointed out Ramsey “looked a threat down the left wing”, calling him a “nuisance all night” for the Swiss Champions.
The stats via Sofascore certainly back up that claim. The Villa academy graduate had 56 touches, completed 95% of his passes from which he created three chances, and succeeded with 100% of his dribbles. Off the ball, he worked hard too, winning four from five ground duels.
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Ramsey stats vs. Young Boys |
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|---|---|
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Stat |
Number |
|
Pass accuracy |
95% |
|
Touches |
56 |
|
Passes completed |
40/42 |
|
Ground duels won |
4/5 |
|
Key passes |
3 |
|
Fouls won |
3 |
|
Goals |
1 |
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Stats from Sofascore |
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Ramsey’s performance is certainly one that will please Emery and the Villa fans alike. If he and his teammates can keep up that form on the European stage, there is no limits to how far they can go in the Champions League this season.