Villa make perfect start on Champions League return after 41-year absence

Pravin Gordhan’s body leaves his family home in Pretoria. 
Pravin Gordhan’s body leaves his family home in Pretoria. 
Thabo Bester
Thabo Bester
Songezo Zibi
ZURICH – Aston Villa made a stylish return to the Champions League with a 3-0 win at Swiss side Young Boys on Tuesday in their first game in the tournament for 41 years.
Villa boss Unai Emery had urged his team to take three points in Bern as a tribute to the club’s former striker Gary Shaw, who died on Monday aged 63 after being injured in a fall.
Shaw’s tragic death carried extra poignancy as he was a key member of the Villa side that shocked Bayern Munich in the 1982 European Cup final.
A picture of Shaw celebrating Peter Withe’s winner against Bayern adorns Villa’s training ground and the players wore black armbands during their Champions League opener in memory of the local hero.
Clad in the number eight shirt that Shaw made his own at Villa, it was fitting that Youri Tielemans opened the scoring against Young Boys and celebrated by pointing to his jersey.
Jacob Ramsey bagged Villa’s second goal before the interval and Amadou Onana added the third in the closing stages as Emery’s men eased to a victory four decades in the making.
Villa are back in the Champions League after surprisingly finishing fourth in the Premier League last term.
Clashes with Bayern Munich and Juventus await among their remaining seven fixtures in the revamped league stage of the competition.
But this cathartic victory will forever hold a special place for Villa fans given their remarkable return to relevance since Emery was hired to replace the sacked Steven Gerrard in 2022.
Just five years ago, Villa were stuck in English football’s second tier, with dreams of facing Europe’s elite reserved for only the most optimistic supporters.
Anticipation over their first Champions League tie since 1983 had been building for months and the Villa fans crammed into a corner of the Wankdorf Stadium let out a jubilant roar when the tournament anthem was played before kick-off.
 
– A night to remember –
 
Prince William, a noted Villa fan, sent Emery’s team a good luck message ahead of their “European adventure” and his team responded with a well-drilled display on the Wankdorf’s treacherous artificial pitch.
The meticulous Emery changed Villa’s preparations by flying to Bern early to train at the stadium on Monday, a move that paid dividends once they survived an early Young Boys raid.
Ebrima Colley’s stinging strike forced a fine save from Emiliano Martinez, who breathed a sigh of relief when Filip Ugrinic dragged the rebound narrowly wide.
Villa took the lead in the 27th minute with a clever short corner routine.
Lucas Digne passed to John McGinn who lofted his cross towards the unmarked Tielemans on the far side of the area.
The Belgian midfielder took a composed touch and drilled a low shot through a crowd of players into the bottom corner from 12 yards.
Austin MacPhee, Villa’s set-piece coach, punched the air in delight at his successful scheme, while Tielemans celebrated the club’s first Champions League goal since their 1983 quarter-final exit against Juventus.
Villa doubled their advantage in the 38th minute thanks to an unexpected gift from the hosts.
Deep inside his own area, Mohamed Ali Camara bizarrely passed back to David von Ballmoos even though the Young Boys keeper was instantly under pressure from Watkins.
Von Ballmoos’ panicked challenge up-ended Watkins, who lay prone on the turf as Ramsey pounced on the loose ball and slotted home from close-range.
Villa were largely able to cruise through the second half, with Onana capping a night to remember when the Belgian midfielder smashed a 20-yard drive past Von Ballmoos in the 86th minute.
smg/nf