RB LEIPZIG 2-3 ASTON VILLA: Unai Emery's side are in the driving seat to secure a direct route to the last 16 of the Champions League after a thrilling win secured by a Ross Barkley deflected strike
Ross Barkley scored the winner as Aston Villa beat RB Leipzig
Ross Barkley scored the winner as Aston Villa beat RB Leipzig
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Ross Barkley has already produced some moments that matter for Unai Emery this season.
The former England midfielder has largely been used from the bench as a game-changer. It has worked in the Premier League - and in Leipzig his influence was transferred to the Champions League stage.
Barkley had not long been on the pitch after entering the fray as a late substitute but decided to try his luck from 25 yards five minutes from time. The shot didn’t look like it possessed enough venom or the right direction to find the net. But it hit defender Lukas Klostermann to hand Aston Villa a deserved victory.
It might have been late and undoubtedly carried a hint of good fortune. But given the weight of chances created and wasted and ta goal wiped out for the tightest of VAR calls, Vilila would have been out of sight far earlier.
As it was, they relied on Barkley’s effort on an evening that carried plenty of incident. Emery couldn’t have wished for a better start. There was a nervousness about Leipzig from the off and Villa capitalised.
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Morgan Rogers’ probing run was initially repelled. Youri Tielemans picked up the ball and fed it to Matty Cash on the right.
The defender had all the time in the world to look up. Watkins met the header at the far post but knew he didn’t have the power to score.
He headed the ball into space. McGinn anticipated the area where the England international was looking for. He pulled into it and was left with a simple eight-yard tap-in.
Given the chances Villa squandered before the interval, they really should have built upon that lead - not gone in on level terms.
Leipzig levelled twice before succumbing to their sixth straight European defeat
Leipzig levelled twice before succumbing to their sixth straight European defeat
Nicolas Siewald went back to front with a 50-yard lump upfield. Emery decided to use three centre-backs in a deviation from standard four-man rearguard. That meant Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa flanked Diego Carlos.
Whether that was any contributory factor to the breakdown in communication that followed will never be established. Keeper Emi Martinez came and stopped. Carlos didn’t bother dealing with the situation either and Lios Openda nipped in, controlling and then slipped the ball into an empty net.
It was sloppy and gave Leipzig - whose boss Marco Rose admitted beforehand needed a victory after returning no points from their opening five games - a route into a game where they had looked second-best.
When the teams re-emerged for the second half, Villa had made a change. Watkins departed at half-time holding his thigh. Emery was taking no chances and Duran was called for.
Jhon Duran came off the bench to score in the second half
His moment arrived after Martinez threw out the ball. Boubacar Kamara was twice involved, but there was still plenty of work for Duran to do when he picked up the ball 35 yards from goal, with a Leipzig midfielder trying to hold him back.
Duran, who netted a spectacular effort to defeat Bayern Munich, took aim and lifted a shot over Peter Gulasci - the keeper was off his line - but this was equally breathtaking.
Five minutes later, he was denied a second by Matty Cash’s big toe - the defender took a ball down the right before crossing for Duran to sidefoot home. VAR gatecrashed proceedings.
Moments later, Leipzig again profited from a long ball. Again Openda was on the end of it. The striker waited for help and it arrived when Christoph Baumgartner angled a shot on the full over Martinez. It was a lovely finish.
Lucas Digne tested Gulasci again as they pressed for a third - and it eventually came, via Barkley.
The win leaves Villa on 13 points from their opening six matches back in Europe's elite competition, knowing a win from one of their final two will surely be enough to secure a direct route to the last 16.
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