Aston Villa 4-0 Ajax

Aston Villa progressed to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League courtesy of a convincing 4-0 victory over Ajax on a memorable night at Villa Park.

Ollie Watkins headed home Douglas Luiz’s corner in the 25^th minute, his 22^nd goal of the season, to break the deadlock in the second leg and the tie following a goalless draw last week in Amsterdam.

Leon Bailey then converted his 12^th goal of the campaign, via another Luiz assist, on the hour mark as Villa took firm control of the round of 16 tie.

Ajax saw Sivert Mannsverk dismissed for a second bookable offence in the 66^th minute, with substitute Jhon Durán drilling home a powerful third off the underside off the crossbar.

And it was left for Moussa Diaby to round off the scoring with a well-taken finish late on as Villa secured their place in the last eight in style.

It was the first time Villa Park had hosted European knockout football since 2008/09, the same season the Villans defeated Ajax 2-1 in their only previous meeting on these shores.

Villa can now look forward to Friday’s draw for the quarter-finals of the competition, yet head coach Unai Emery will be hoping for positive news on the injuries which forced Watkins and Diego Carlos to both hobble off.

Villa showed four changes from Sunday’s Premier League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, Carlos, Diaby, Álex Moreno and Morgan Rogers all starting the encounter.

With Ezri Konsa suspended following his dismissal in the first leg, it also represented five changes from the starting XI who drew at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.

A sold-out Villa Park greeted the two sides as they entered the pitch for a special night of European action under the lights.

Diaby enjoyed two openings midway through the first half, pulling a strike wide of the far post before being denied by a backtracking Diant Ramaj having initially reached the ball ahead of the Ajax goalkeeper.

But the hosts finally opened the scoring from the resulting corner, Watkins rising highest to perfectly divert Luiz’s delivery beyond a despairing Ramaj from eight yards.

The striker, called up by England earlier in the afternoon, limped off due to injury shortly afterwards, replaced by Durán.

Rogers fired over the crossbar from 20 yards while Matty Cash cleared off the line to deny Brian Brobbey moments before half-time as Villa led at the interval.

Youri Tielemans replaced Rogers at the break and Durán came close to adding to the home side’s advantage when he put narrowly wide from Moreno’s ball into the middle.

But the Villans didn’t have to wait long to stretch their lead.

Having won possession high up the pitch, McGinn fed Luiz, who laid the ball on to Bailey and he produced trickery to create space and shoot beyond Ramaj.

Durán headed at the Ajax stopper from Luiz’s corner moments later as Villa threatened an immediate third.

Ajax’s task became even tougher as Mannsverk was shown a second yellow card for a foul on the lively Durán.

And the sub got on the scoresheet when powered home a 20-yard strike in the 75^th minute which bounced off the underside of the bar and over the line.

Diaby got in on the act six minutes later as he played a one-two with Tielemans down the right before firing into the top corner at Ramaj’s near post.

Emi Martínez denied Brobbey late on as Ajax threatened a consolation, preserving the hosts’ clean sheet as Villa added to their home wins over Hibernian, HŠK Zrinjski, AZ Alkmaar and Legia Warszawa earlier in the competition.