UEFA Youth League: RB Leipzig 3-4 Aston Villa

Aston Villa scored twice in stoppage time to snatch victory against RB Leipzig and progress to the knockout rounds of the UEFA Youth League.

The Young Lions were heading out of the competition when trailing 3-2 at the start of five added minutes, but Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba scored a looping header before Ben Broggio netted the winner from the penalty spot with the final kick of the game.

It was just reward for a performance full of character from the visiting Villans, who took the lead early on via Bradley Burrowes before being pegged back by Lionel Voufack.

A brace from Toni Langsteiner either side of a reply from Jimoh-Aloba looked set to give the home team the win until Villa’s late heroics turned despair into delight.

The Young Lions travelled to Germany knowing they needed to avoid defeat to stand any chance of qualifying for the knockout rounds, starting the day one point and one place outside of the top 22 teams.

And the visitors made a superb start, finding the net in the fifth minute when Burrowes pounced on a loose back pass and slotted past Luca Janosch.

Four defeats in five games had left opponents Leipzig with no chance to progress, but they struck back almost immediately when Voufack raced clear and beat Sam Lewis with a low shot.

The pacey winger tested the Villa stopper again soon after before the game settled into a midfield battle, sparking into life once more when Leon Koß rattled the post with a cross.

Villa had the ball in the net when Leon Routh turned home a cross from Aidan Borland, but the offside flag was raised quickly after the centre-back strayed beyond the last defender.

Burrowes fired a drive that was too hot to handle for Janosch just before the break, with his defenders swooping in to clear the loose ball.

The second half started in the same vein as the first, but this time it was the hosts who dealt an early blow when Langsteiner was in the right place to turn home after Villa failed to clear a cross.

Faced with a deficit for the first time in the game, the away side responded in fine fashion and levelled the scores seven minutes later via Jimoh-Aloba, who sent Travis Patterson’s low cross into the bottom corner of the net.

Jimoh-Aloba sent another shot at Janosch before the pendulum swung back in Leipzig’s favour with 20 minutes left to play.

Lewis did brilliantly to get a hand to Robert Ramsak’s close-range effort, but the rebound popped up to Langsteiner who was left with an easy headed finish.

Mason Cotcher and Omar Khedr came on as Villa chased the game, knowing full well that they were heading out if the scoreline stayed the same.

And an equaliser looked unlikely until Jimoh-Aloba rose highest in the box and sent a header dropping inside the far post.

A draw gave Villa a chance of progression but a win was what they desired most and they secured it when Broggio sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot after Cotcher was felled in the box. 

Joyous scenes ensued as the Young Lions revelled in their success.

Aston Villa: Lewis, Pierre (Khedr 81’), Rowe, Routh, Patterson, Young, Borland, Hemmings, Broggio, Jimoh-Aloba, Burrowes (Cotcher 71’).

Unused subs: Proctor, Fortes, Carroll, Lynch, Burgess, Bloomfield, Mulley.

RB Leipzig: Janosch, Koß, Schuldes, Ramsak, Schlößler (Walthier 66’), Langsteiner (Böhm 89’), Voufack, Boog, Neumann, Klapija (Yarsekou 66’), Weißbach (Bulland 89’).

Unused subs: Daffner, Hennig, Damala, Naumann, Saric.