Young Boys vs Aston Villa LIVE: Champions League result and reaction as dominant Villa triumph in Bern
Young Boys 0-3 Aston Villa: Unai Emery’s men excelled on their Champions League debut
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Your support makes all the difference.Aston Villa made a glorious return to the European flight with a wonderful 3-0 victory against Young Boys in Switzerland.
Playing at the Stadion Wankdorf on an artificial pitch there were come concerns that Villa wouldn’t adapt to the conditions and for the opening 20 minutes the hosts were the better side. Unai Emery’s team did click though and took the lead from a fine set piece.
John McGinn received a short corner and swung a cross over to Youri Tielemans. He controlled it and drilled a low finish into the back of the net for Aston Villa’s first ever Champions League goal.
Two more followed, Jacob Ramsey making the most of a defensive mishap to add a second before Amadou Onana added a third late in the game. It could have been even better for the visitors as Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran, brought into the match as a substitute, both had goals disallowed.
It was a perfect night for the midlands club and they’ll now be determined to reach the knockout rounds.
Relive the Champions League action with our live blog below:
Aston Villa team news
Ollie Watkins withdrew from the England squad during the international break, but started during the 3-2 win over Everton at the weekend, although two matches in quick succession might be too much for the striker.
Should he not be deemed fit enough to start, Jhon Duran is likely to take his place.
How can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, with coverage starting at 5pm BST. Subscribers can also watch the match via the Discovery+ app and website.
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When is Young Boys vs Aston Villa?
Young Boys play host to Aston Villa in their opening Champions League fixture with the match kicking off at 5.45pm BST at the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern on Tuesday 17 September.
Aston Villa make Champions League debut
Aston Villa have never played in the Champions League before, and their first opponents will be Young Boys in the new-look competition.
In their club’s history, Villa have only played against Swiss sides in the now-defunct Uefa Intertoto Cup, and they have never won in Switzerland.
Unai Emery has led his side back into Europe’s top-tier competition for the first time since the 1982-83 season, the year after they won the European Cup.
Last season, Young Boys fought hard to secure a third-place finish in a group including Manchester City, Red Bull Leipzig and Crvena zvezda.
Good afternoon!
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of this evening’s Champions League action which sees Aston Villa return to Europe’s top flight for the first time in four decades.
Unai Emery’s side finished fourth in the Premier League last season ensuring a spot in the Champions League where Villa are making their debut. It is the first time the midlands club have reached the tournament since it was rebranded in the early 1990s.
Their opening fixture is against Swiss side Young Boys and Villa will be quietly confident that they can open their campaign with a victory away from home.
We’ll have all the action throughout the evening so stick with us as we bulild up to kick off at 5.45pm.
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