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ASTON VILLA ultimately dominated the contest as substitute Ross Barkley secured a thrilling last-minute win in Leipzig.
The Villa replacement, who had been on the pitch for a mere two minutes, unleashed a shot that deflected significantly off Lukas Klostermann, leaving goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi stranded.
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Villa faced challenges at times, having led Leipzig on two occasions, only to see their opponents level the score each time.
Nevertheless, Barkley’s decisive goal proved too much for the home side to handle, sending Villa into the top eight of the Champions League.
If Carlsberg were to create the ideal football match, they would have undoubtedly chosen this one for Villa.
Unai Emery‘s team erupted in joy when captain John McGinn scored just two minutes and 33 seconds into the match.
Matty Cash, stepping in for the injured Leon Bailey, delivered a deep cross to the back post aimed at Ollie Watkins.
The England striker leapt to cushion a header into McGinn’s path, and the Scot skillfully found the net with his less dominant right foot from nine yards, leaving the hosts in stunned silence.
Only Peter Withe had previously scored faster for Villa in European play, achieving this against Vitoria Guimaraes and Spartak Moscow in 1983.
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The grand occasion seems to inspire McGinn.
His most recent goal for Villa in this competition was against Bologna.
‘Referee had no choice but to award a penalty after Tyrone Mings’ schoolboy error – he’s absolutely spot on’
Additionally, he surpassed Scottish scoring legend Ally McCoist with goals in his last two international fixtures against Croatia and Poland.
At that point, Villa appeared to be in full control.
Watkins narrowly missed connecting with a cross from Lucas Digne that raced across the goal.
Then Youri Tielemans combined with McGinn for a short corner that ended with McGinn blasting his shot high into the stands.
Next was Tielemans, who failed to convert after good buildup play involving McGinn, Digne, and Watkins.
Everyone was eager for the next goal.
What no one expected was for it to be netted by RB Leipzig!
Remarkably, Leipzig leveled the score after 27 minutes, erasing all of Villa’s hard work.
Villa’s careless defending made an unwelcome return on the European stage.
Previously, while playing away, Tyrone Mings made a shocking error by giving Brugge a soft penalty.
This time, it was Emi Martinez and Diego Carlos who felt the regret of their decisions.
Nicolas Seiwald’s hopeful ball forward should have been easily controlled by the World’s No.1 goalkeeper and a seasoned defender like Carlos.
Martinez initially proceeded forward but hesitated as the ball was set to bounce just outside his penalty area.
He abruptly stopped, leaving Carlos to sort it out—only for the Brazilian to misjudge the situation!
As Villa’s defenders hesitated, Lois Openda seized the moment.
He swooped in, rounded Martinez, and calmly slotted the ball into the empty net, bringing the score back to equality.
Stung by this setback, Villa surged forward with renewed intensity.
Matty Cash raced onto a pass from Morgan Rogers, but Peter Gulacsi blocked his shot for a corner.
Villa thought they had regained the lead when McGinn set up Watkins, who fired the ball through Gulacsi’s legs.
However, their celebrations were short-lived as the assistant referee raised the offside flag, and VAR confirmed that Watkins was indeed offside.
This would be Watkins’ last act of the match, as he left the field at halftime clutching his thigh and was replaced by Jhon Duran.
The Colombian’s initial touch was a low shot that veered wide, but his second attempt made a significant impact!
Emi Martinez initiated play with a swift throw to Youri Tielemans, who connected with teammates before the ball was passed to Duran, positioned 45 yards from the goal.
The ambitious attacker surged forward and unleashed an incredible left-footed strike that sailed into the net, just above Gulacsi’s head, who had been caught slightly out of position.
It was a spectacular goal, reminiscent of his outstanding winner against Bayern Munich.
With confidence surging, Duran thought he had sealed Leipzig’s fate just six minutes later.
Matty Cash dashed down the right wing and delivered an impeccable cross that Duran met and slotted in from close range.
However, his celebrations were cut short by VAR, which flagged Cash for being marginally offside during the buildup.
Surprisingly, Leipzig capitalized on their fortunate escape to level the score yet again!
Openda found Christoph Baumgartner at the back post, who cushioned a volley over Martinez into the top corner of Villa’s net.
It was yet another sensational finish that left Emery bewildered at how his team had squandered yet another lead.
It nearly became worse when Pau Torres presented Openda with a clear shot on goal, but Martinez intervened with a vital save.
Leipzig’s sponsor, Red Bull, may provide energy. But for Villa, their RB translates into triumphs!
