Aston Villa's midweek Europa League adventure ended with a stylish win in Basel as Youri Tielemans scored his 10th goal of the competition, securing a crucial three points for the Villans.
Villa, who sit third on 15 points, have now secured five wins from six matches and are slowly closing the gap to the top two in Group A. This result has further boosted their Premier League chances as they return to domestic duty at West Ham this weekend.
Manager Unai Emery made several changes to his starting lineup, with Aston Villa's star midfielder Tielemans making a significant impact off the bench. The Belgian scored within eight minutes of coming on, showcasing his class in front of Roger Federer and a packed Basel crowd.
The match began cautiously but became intense as Evann Guessand gave Villa an early lead before LΓ©o Leroy equalized for Basel just before halftime. However, Tielemans was the catalyst for Villa's resurgence after he expertly finished off a clever pass from Emiliano BuendΓa to put his team back in front.
Villa had several chances to extend their advantage but ultimately didn't need to push themselves too hard as Basel struggled to contain them. The result has sent a strong message that Aston Villa are now contenders for the Europa League title and they'll be eager to build on this momentum when they return to domestic action.
Villa, who sit third on 15 points, have now secured five wins from six matches and are slowly closing the gap to the top two in Group A. This result has further boosted their Premier League chances as they return to domestic duty at West Ham this weekend.
Manager Unai Emery made several changes to his starting lineup, with Aston Villa's star midfielder Tielemans making a significant impact off the bench. The Belgian scored within eight minutes of coming on, showcasing his class in front of Roger Federer and a packed Basel crowd.
The match began cautiously but became intense as Evann Guessand gave Villa an early lead before LΓ©o Leroy equalized for Basel just before halftime. However, Tielemans was the catalyst for Villa's resurgence after he expertly finished off a clever pass from Emiliano BuendΓa to put his team back in front.
Villa had several chances to extend their advantage but ultimately didn't need to push themselves too hard as Basel struggled to contain them. The result has sent a strong message that Aston Villa are now contenders for the Europa League title and they'll be eager to build on this momentum when they return to domestic action.