Aston Villa, former European champions, began their campaign in the newly-expanded 36-team UEFA Champions League with a commanding 3-0 away win against Young Boys at the Stadion Wankdorf.In their first head-to-head clash, reigning Swiss Super League champions Young Boys started brightly, forcing Villa’s Emiliano Martínez into early action. The Argentine World Cup winner made sharp saves to deny Filip Ugrinic’s free-kick and Ebrima Colley’s close-range shot within the first 12 minutes. Colley then narrowly missed again, sending a dipping shot just over the crossbar.Despite the early pressure, Villa took the lead against the run of play in the 27th minute. A well-rehearsed set-piece from coach Austin MacPhee’s playbook saw Youri Tielemans guide John McGinn’s cross into the far corner of the net. Buoyed by their first-ever Champions League goal, Ollie Watkins had a golden opportunity to double Villa’s lead but frustratingly fired his shot wide of the post.Shortly afterward, Jacob Ramsey had a shot saved by David von Ballmoos, but a moment of fortune saw him on the scoresheet moments later. A misplaced back pass from Mohamed Ali Camara forced the Young Boys’ goalkeeper to bring down Watkins inside the six-yard box, leaving Ramsey to tap the ball into an empty net. Villa thought they had added a third when Watkins scored from a half-volley five minutes later, but VAR ruled it out for a contentious handball decision, much to the home side’s relief.Chasing their first European win against Swiss opposition away from home (one draw, one loss), Villa remained on top after the break. Tielemans, the opening goal scorer, forced another save from Von Ballmoos, who kept Young Boys in the contest with a series of smart stops, including tipping Ramsey’s shot over the bar. Villa had another goal disallowed in the final 10 minutes when substitute Jhon Durán’s celebrations were cut short after VAR spotted a handball by Amadou Onana.##EDITORS_CHOICE##However, Villa finally secured their third goal in style, with Onana finding the bottom corner with a superb strike, sealing a convincing victory. The win gave Villa the perfect start to their Champions League debut, collecting three points and three goals. Unai Emery’s side now turns their focus to three Premier League games before resuming their European journey with a historic clash against Bayern Munich, a rematch of the 1982 final, and their first meeting since that famous night in Rotterdam. For Young Boys, the defeat means they’ve managed only one win against English opposition in the competition (one draw, five losses).🚨🇪🇺 GOAL | Young Boys 0-3 Aston Villa | Amadou OnanaWHAT A GOAL FROM AMADOU ONANA !!!!!!!!!!!!pic.twitter.com/CkbuCvgmAi— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) September 17, 2024 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 1TuesdayJuventus – PSV 3-1 (2-0)/Yildiz 21, McKennie 27, Gonzales 52 – Saibari 90+3/Young Boys – Aston Villa 0-3 (0-2)/Tielemans 27, Ramsey 38, Onana 86/22:00: (3.80) AC Milan (3.60) Liverpool (2.05)22:00: (1.15) Bayern (8.00) Dinamo Zagreb (16.0)22:00: (1.33) Real Madrid (5.90) Stuttgart (9.50)22:00: (1.75) Sporting (3.60) Lille (4.90)Wednesday19:45: (1.95) Bologna (3.60) Shakhtar (4.30)19:45: (2.45) Sparta Praha (3.40) Salzburg (2.85)22:00: (1.37) Celtic (5.20) Slovan B. (10.0)22:00: (3.80) Club Brugge (3.50) Dortmund (2.10)22:00: (1.55) Man.City (4.10) Inter (6.00)22:00: (1.42) PSG (4.60) Girona (7.50)Thursday19:45: (4.20) Crvena Zvezda (3.60) Benfica (1.95)19:45: (4.40) Feyenoord (3.70) Leverkusen (1.80)22:00: (4.10) Atalanta (3.50) Arsenal (1.90)22:00: (1.80) Atl.Madrid (3.60) RB Leipzig (4.60)22:00: (1.90) Brest (3.60) Sturm (4.50)22:00: (4.60) Monaco (3.60) Barcelona (1.80)***odds are subject to change***
