Aston Villa outclass Freiburg in Europa League final to end 30-year trophy drought
WAIT IS OVER: Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers celebrates scoring their side's third goal. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
DOES Unai Emery get to keep the trophy now?
Aston Villa could call on the backing of Hollywood royalty and actual royalty - a pre-match good luck message from Tom Hanks in addition to the future king of England brazenly blagging a posh seat at the Besiktas Stadium - as the serial-winning Spaniard surely took his rightful place among Villa Park royalty on a pretty-much perfect night in Istanbul.
Liverpool needed a miracle to seal victory in a European final in this city 21 years ago, but this one sauntered to by Villa was far more routine as the financial form-book proved a perfect barometer of exactly what to expect in an utterly one-sided showpiece.
A routine victory ended the club's 30-year wait for major silverware, but for their perfectionist head coach it was more a case of normal service being resumed. The Villa boss triumphed in this competition for a fifth time with a third different club as John McGinn became their first captain since Andy Townsend lifted the League Cup in 1996 to get his hands on a significant trophy.
Emery's constant demand for sky-high standards ensured his side brought their A-game when it mattered most.
Sublime finishes from Youri Tielemans and Emi Buendia in quick succession as half-time approached gave them an unassailable lead, before Morgan Rogers added a third just before the hour. It means English clubs could win the three main European knockout competitions this season if Crystal Palace fulfil their favourites tag and Arsenal erect a brick wall in front of David Raya's goal to stop PSG.
Villa were rank outsiders when the most celebrated mis-hit of Peter Withe's career clinched the European Cup against Bayern Munich in Rotterdam 44 years ago, but the boot was on the other foot as Emery's side went into the final as significant favourites against a Freiburg side that finished seventh in the Bundesliga, 42 points behind Bayern Munich.
The financial gulf between the finalists was underlined by Villa having spent twice as much on players since Emery took charge in 2023 than Freiburg have in their 122-year history. Oh boy, did it show out on the pitch.
There were more cautions - three - than shots on target in the contest's opening quarter, which didn't merit the number of cards flourished by referee Francois Letexier. The pattern was set early with the Germans largely happy to surrender territory and possession and look to catch the Premier League side on the break, or at a set-piece.
Nicolas Hofler should have done better when Villa failed to deal with an early free-kick swung into the box, but the veteran midfielder scuffed shot wide which Matthias Ginter came within inches of diverting into the net from close range. As an attacking threat, that was as good as it got for Freiburg.
Rogers forced a save from Noah Atubolu from the edge of the box and when the livewire forward tried his luck from even further out, Atubolu had to scramble across his goal when it momentarily appeared the ball was destined for the top corner.
Freiburg's safety-first approach looked to have got them through to the interval on level terms until Villa took the contest by the scruff of the net with two stunning goals in the space of seven minutes.
The deadlock-breaking effort four minutes before the break came straight off the training ground. A short corner on the left saw Rogers pick out Tielemans after the Belgian peeled away to the back post unmarked to send a stunning low volley into the bottom corner - the sweetly-timed shot beating Atubolu for pace more than anything else.
Villa's 30th Europa League goal of the campaign arrived three minutes into first-half stoppage-time and was even better than Tielemans' impressive opener. As Villa probed down the right, McGinn rolled a pass along the face of the 18 yard box to Buendia, who in one fluid movement turned onto his left foot to send a wonderful curling effort into the top corner.
There was still 45 minutes to play, but it was already game over.
Rogers put the icing on the cake as Freiburg were torn to shreds down their left, Buendia sending in a low deflected cross which the forward slid in from close range at the near post to become the first Englishman to score in a Europa League final for a decade.
The celebrations had long since been launched when substitute Amadou Onana headed against the post and Buendia missed a close-range sitter, Villa taking their foot off the gas to spare their vanquished opponents from further embarrassment as Istanbul braced itself to be painted claret and blue.
Martinez 8; Cash 8, Konsa 8, Torres 8 (Mings, 88,7), Digne 8 (Maatsen 81, 7) ; Lindelof 8 (Onana 66, 7), Tielemans 9 (Douglas Luiz 88, 7); McGinn 9, Rogers 9, Buendia 9 (Sancho 81, 7); Watkins 8.
Atubolu 6; Kubler 6 (Makengo 73, 5), Ginter 6, Lienhart 5 (Rosenfelder 61, 5), Treu 6; Eggestein 6, Hofler 6 (Holer 61, 5); Beste 6 (Gunter 86, 5), Manzambi 6, Grifo 6 (Scherhant 73, 5); Matanovic 5.
Francois Letexier.
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