Fixtures
- RB Leipzig Vs. Aston Villa – Tue, Dec 10th 2024, 20:00
Aston Villa secured a third consecutive victory in all competitions on Tuesday evening, with a memorable 3-2 Champions League triumph away at RB Leipzig.
Goals from John McGinn, Jhon Durán and Ross Barkley sealed another huge three points for the Villans in Europe, with the win taking us up to third in the league phase with two matches remaining.
In a breathless encounter, there were plenty of talking points for the Villa faithful to stew upon on their way back to Birmingham.
From our blue third strip, to the club’s third-earliest goal in major European competition, here are seven topics of discussion we have picked out from the game…
What a start!
It took John McGinn just 153 seconds to open to scoring in Germany, sending the travelling Villans into raptures.
The goal itself was a work of art. Wonderfully crafted, with Matty Cash standing up a ball to the back post which Ollie Watkins headed back across. In flew Ginny to give us the lead.
It was Villa’s third-earliest goal in major European competition, coming after Peter Withe scored in the second minute in the UEFA Cup against Vitória Guimarães in September 1983 and Spartak Moscow in November 1983.
Super John McGinn loves the Champions League
Our captain yet again popped up when his side needed him in the Champions League, putting us in front inside the opening three minutes.
It was his second goal in this season’s competition, after he broke the deadlock in what was proving to be a tense visit of Bologna back in October. Villa kicked on and won that game 2-0.
From the Championship to the Champions League. Like a duck to water.
Jhon Durán… you know the rest
Introduced at half-time, JD needed just seven minutes to make his mark, and how.
Picking the ball up just inside the Leipzig half, after neat work from Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans, Durán drove fearlessly at the home defence, who didn’t for one minute think he might be about to do what he did.
The Colombian unleashed an unstoppable curling effort over Péter Gulácsi and into the back of the net, putting the Villans back ahead in style.
Super sub Ross’ first in the UCL
After Durán had successfully come off the bench to score and put us back ahead, Leipzig’s second equaliser of the evening made Unai Emery’s message to Ross Barkley somewhat simpler.
The midfielder didn’t take his time in sealing another memorable Champions League victory for the Villa – netting just two minutes after his introduction. In his 11th appearance in the competition, he scored his first goal.
He and the visitors were helped, with a wicked deflection off Lukas Klostermann wrongfooting Gulácsi, but Emery and the travelling Holte Enders didn’t care one jot as they took another precious three points back home.
We travel near and far
Well over 2,000 travelling supporters crammed into the away end of the Red Bull Arena, and made themselves seen, heard and felt all day long in Leipzig.
They were given plenty to cheer and were treated to another breathless Champions League affair as we made it three wins in a row.
We couldn’t have done it without you, Villans. Thank you!
Two out of two in blue
After opening our Champions League campaign in our third strip against BSC Young Boys back in September, Tuesday’s outing was only our second of the season in blue.
The kit seems to be having a positive impact. Two games, two wins away from home in the Champions League and three goals scored in each encounter. And it looks very nice to boot…
Two to go
With two league phase matchdays to go in this season’s Champions League in the new year, we’re currently third in the table, behind only Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, with an impressive 13 points from a possible 18.
Victory against Monaco on January 21 could potentially be enough to secure our place in the last 16.
Whatever happens, it’s been an incredible journey already. We’ve broken records decades old and made unforgettable memories, together.
UTV!
