Aston Villa returns to the top of Europe after 44 years and wins the Europa League by beating Freiburg 3-0 in the final played in Istanbul. A historic night for the English club and especially for Unai Emery, who once again confirms his extraordinary feeling with the competition by achieving his fifth personal triumph.
Inizio equilibrato, nella ripresa il Villa dilaga
The English team imposed its own pace from the very first moments, showing greater technical quality and international experience than the Germans led by Schuster, in their first European final. After a balanced initial phase, Aston Villa broke the deadlock with Youri Tielemans, who did well to exploit space on the edge of the area and beat Atubolu with a precise shot. Freiburg tried to react especially with Grifo and Manzambi, but Emery's team controlled without suffering too much.
In the second half Villa closed the score. First Emiliano Buendía scored the second after a quick offensive transition, then Morgan Rogers sealed the success with the final 3-0 goal which exploded the English fans present at Beşiktaş Park. A mature and dominant performance for the Villans, also driven by the international experience of Emiliano Martínez and the leadership of John McGinn.
Gioia Aston Villa, delusione Friburgo
For the Birmingham club it is the first European trophy since 1982, the year of the historic European Cup. A success that definitively underlines the rebirth of Aston Villa under the leadership of Emery, who arrived on the bench at a complicated moment and was capable of bringing the club back among the greats of European football in just a few years.
Disappointment instead for Freiburg, who nevertheless had an extraordinary season. Congratulations must be made to the German team for playing in the first European final in their history, surprising everyone along the European path thanks to aggressive and courageous football. In Istanbul, however, the difference in experience was seen, especially in the decisive moments of the match.