Aston Villa player ratings as Europa League progress is secured with a win at Fenerbahçe
One goal was enough for Villa, who are now guaranteed a place in the top eight in the league phase
A sensible away performance in Europe gave Unai Emery a win in his hundredth match in charge of a team in the Europa League.
Aston Villa defeated Istanbul giants Fenerbahçe 1-0 thanks to a first-half header by on-loan winger Jadon Sancho.
Villa had a plan. They were solid, compact and patient as Fenerbahçe went for the throat from the start, looking to be explosive with the ball. The visitors gradually dominated as a frantic start quietened, applied more of a press, and then ran large parts of the game.
It was anything but a smooth road to victory after taking the lead but Villa had their wits about them to win a sixth Europa League game in seven and confirm their place in the round of 16.
Here are the ratings:
Marco Bizot - 8
Superb starting position and reading of the play to meet a Marco Asensio through ball inside quarter of an hour. Saved well from the former Villa man in the 20th minute.
Saved very smartly from substitute Talisca, who had the home team’s first clear chance. Showed good handling under pressure and solid shot-stopping on an increasingly frequent basis in the second half but eventually palmed the ball to the feet of an opponent for what was ultimately a disallowed equaliser.
Matty Cash - 7
Among the first Villa players to start getting into the game. Always willing to engage with Fenerbahçe’s right side in Villa’s half. Forward-thinking in possession and clipped in the cross that allowed Jadon Sancho to put Villa in front. Defensive acceleration kept the right side locked down.
Hit the post with a brilliant strike from 25 yards. Substituted with 15 minutes to go.
Victor Lindelöf - 6
Cool on the ball at the back, combining well with Cash, Lamare Bogarde and Tyrone Mings. Useful one-on-one defending in the Villa box. Booked for a foul in the last quarter of an hour.
Tyrone Mings - 8
Captained the team on his return from injury. Headed over from the first corner of the game having totally evaded his marker. Outmuscled Jhon Durán in front of Bizot in the middle of the first half, the first of many robust pieces of defending. His aerial interventions in the box were vital.
Drifted the long pass out wide that led to Villa’s goal. Went close with a lovely chest and volley on the turn early in the second half.
Lucas Digne - 7
Very quiet first half an hour against an opponent who was consistently offside but made a number of cushioned header interceptions to turn the ball over and started to get forward to cross the ball.
Yellow-carded for a foul early in the second half.
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Lamare Bogarde - 5
Nice and calm in possession in the centre of the pitch, allowing Youri Tielemans to balance discipline and adventure. Perhaps a little less relaxed closer to the Villa goal, where he didn’t really want to be while facing Bizot.
Moved to right centre-back in a back five after Villa’s quadruple substitution and made an excellent block to keep out Talisca.
Youri Tielemans - 7
Threaded passes were a threat once Villa started to get a foot on the ball but Villa tended to bypass him in transition, limiting his impact. Very good off the ball and put in some very important tackles.
Jadon Sancho - 8
Final ball lacking in key moments early in the game but settled beautifully, tracked back dutifully and did some vital defensive work in support of Cash.
Headed in his first Villa goal to make it 1-0 in the 25th minute, nodding in Cash’s cross after a long free kick. Should have scored again just before first time and had a volley well blocked just after the break as the chances continued to flow. Substituted with 15 minutes to go.
Morgan Rogers - 7
Delivered a dangerous early cross towards Sancho that was cut out in the nick of time. Played some lovely inventive passes in the opposition half, including a fabulous square pass for Sancho, and produced an outrageous backheeled through ball for Ollie Watkins that led to a Villa corner in the first 20 minutes.
Held the ball up well, sometimes with touches that bordered on absurd. Drew a low save from Ederson in the middle of the second period. Substituted with 15 minutes to go.
Emi Buendía - 7
Full of industry and hustle up and down the Villa left and made some important defensive contributions early on and was able to follow up with some quality passing as Villa’s influence grew. Caught in possession in a two-on-two on half an hour. Substituted with 15 minutes to go.
Ollie Watkins - 6
Limited opportunity to get a sight of goal but quickly showed the benefits of his hard work up front. Had a weak but accurate header cleared off the line from a corner. Slow to get his shot off on a few occasions but did well to tee up Sancho early in the second half.
Substitutes
Ian Maatsen (for Cash, 75) - Came on to form a three-man midfield with Amadou Onana and Tielemans. Drilled a late shot well wide. 5
Amadou Onana (for Buendía, 75) - On as a substitute to sit at the heart of the Villa team. 5
Evann Guessand (for Rogers, 75) - Put in a shift as a late substitute. 5
Andrés García (for Sancho, 75) - Slotted in at right back and held his own. 5
George Hemmings (for Tielemans, 90+2) - Late substitute. N/A