Diego Carlos sees red, Amadou Onana could be a crucial transfer, and injury concern for keeper Robin Olsen: FIVE THINGS we learned from Aston Villa’s 2-0 loss to RB Leipzig
It was a weird environment at a half-full Red Bull Arena and Aston Villa could not seem to get off on the right foot in a 2-0 loss to RB Leipzig.
The German side struck first in the 17th minute with a poacher’s goal for Portuguese striker Andre Silva which led to an injury to keeper Robin Olsen.
A second goal for Die Roten Bullen from Loïs Openda led to a moment of madness from Villa center back Diego Carlos – who was sent off.
It marks a second-straight loss for the Villains after their humiliating 4-1 defeat at the hands of Columbus Crew just days ago.
Here, DailyMail.com takes you through five things we learned from Aston Villa’s loss in New Jersey to RB Leipzig.
Aston Villa were left grasping at RB Leipzig as they were behind for most of the contest
Concern for Robin Olsen after an injury
The Swedish keeper had been called to task once when he let in the first goal of the match – but it wasn’t entirely his fault.
Ross Barkley got his pocket picked by Amadou Haidara right at the top of his own box, with the Leipzig midfielder slotting the ball across for Andre Silva to open the scoring.
But in that process, Haidara clattered into Olsen – with the keeper lying on the ground for a number of minutes before continuing on.
He only lasted about eleven more minutes before sitting on the ground and having the trainers called over to help him off the pitch, where he was replaced by Oliwier Zych.
After the match, manager Unai Emery said he believes Olsen will be able to return after ‘a few days’.
Robin Olsen left the match early for Aston Villa after an injury sustained in the first half
Tempers flared on a hot night in a lack of composure from Diego Carlos
Leipzig kept probing for a second goal and eventually found it at the 41st minute on the boot of Loïs Openda.
Off a low cross from El-Chadaille Bitshiabu, Openda got a boot on it but it was saved by Zych. The rebound fell in front of Openda again who tapped it in.
Openda then said something to center back Diego Carlos, who promptly slapped the Frenchman in the chest – causing him to go to the ground.
A fracas ensued with Carlos being sent off after he saw red in a display of poor judgment – condemning Villa to play down a man for the rest of the night.
Diego Carlos (3) saw red and slapped Loïs Openda (11) after the Leipzig man scored a goal
Amadou Onana’s physicality will cause nightmares for Aston Villa opponents
Arriving at Villa Park with big shoes to fill after the departure of Douglas Luiz, Amadou Onana stepped into the holding midfielder role on Wednesday night and proved all the worth of his reported $64.6m transfer fee.
Concerns about his ability to make passes didn’t materialize as he was able to pick out his teammates with flawless execution and strong vision.
Beyond that, his height and strength routinely stopped attacking chances from the German club.
When moved to center back to replace the sent off Carlos, Onana didn’t seem out of place – winning physical battles with Leipzig’s strikers to send away chances.
Post-match, Emery praised Onana for his adaptability and his willingness to learn the system so quickly.
‘Some things we didn’t work on today because after the card, the match was different,’ Emery said. ‘But even like that – during the season, hopefully not – but maybe we will play again with 10 players sometimes. This is a practice we don’t want to do. But when it’s like today, we have to use it for the future.’
Amadou Onana could be Aston Villa’s signing of the summer with his strength and poise
Leipzig look poised for a strong Champions League run
Last season, Die Roten Bullen came second in a group featuring Manchester City, but were eliminated early with a loss to eventual winners Real Madrid in the Round of 16.
But the current makeup of the squad seems poised to reach the knockouts once again – barring a group of death draw.
Openda will be a dominant force up top for the Red Bulls – as will striker Benjamin Sesko – with a potent midfield that looks seems like it could feature Xavi Simons once again.
Fixture congestion appeared to catch up to the team as they fell to a fourth-place finish in the Bundesliga and a second-round elimination in the DFB-Pokal.
But the squad’s depth seems ready for the task ahead – and will further test itself with a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers in Miami on Saturday.
RB Leipzig seem ready for success in this upcoming 2024-25 campaign in three competitions
A weird environment leads to a quiet start for Leipzig’s first international tour
The pitch for this match was clearly showing wear from having been played on the night before in a Leagues Cup match between the New York Red Bulls and Mexican side Pachuca.
With those games so close together, attendance was low – which isn’t uncommon at this venue. However, considering that this match featured two sides that are set to play Champions League football next season, it was a bit disconcerting.
Last year, a strong crowd came out to watch Brighton & Hove Albion take on Newcastle United. The same could not be said for this match. Perhaps people were more enthralled by the prospects of Arsenal-Manchester United being played just down the road in Philadelphia.
Regardless, it was less well-received than other matches featuring European competition. Adding insult to injury was that the arena was largely silent for most of the match barring the few moments of excitement.
It could just be representative of the fact that Aston Villa are only the 12th most popular Premier League team in America, according to Statista. It also could be because RB Leipzig is going on its first international tour and needs to get its name out there.
But the occasionally sleepy crowd struggled to get some energy injected into it. The group of 50 or so fans that traveled from East Germany tried making a noise but could not keep it up on a mostly quiet night in New Jersey.
