A triumphant campaign in the UEFA Europa League was the crown jewel on another memorable Aston Villa season.
Last week’s 3-0 win over Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in Istanbul sealed an unforgettable journey, as captain John McGinn lifted silverware on the banks of the Bosphorus, becoming the first Villa captain to do so for over 30 years.
Only the Villans’ second major European honour in history, the Europa League win ensured Unai Emery and his players wrote their names into the club’s history books.
The run to the final comprised a number of key moments which contributed towards the success.
Here are nine significant goals from our Europa League-winning campaign…
The campaign gets underway
John McGinn's goal against Bologna sealed our first win of the season
John McGinn's goal against Bologna sealed our first win of the season
John McGinn's goal against Bologna sealed our first win of the season
John McGinn's goal against Bologna sealed our first win of the season
John McGinn's goal against Bologna sealed our first win of the season
John McGinn's goal against Bologna sealed our first win of the season
On Matchday One, Villa welcomed Bologna to B6 for the second successive year in European action, and were still seeking their first win of the season.
Having only netted two goals in all competitions prior to this point, they needed just 13 minutes to break the deadlock against the Italian outfit.
A corner was cleared as far as John McGinn who brought the ball under control and pulled the trigger, finding the bottom corner brilliantly from the edge of the area.
Villa were off the mark in the Europa League, with three points in the opening game, but perhaps more importantly, had their first win of the season, as 2025/26 truly got underway.
Returning to Rotterdam
Emi Buendía strike helped Villa to a successful return to De Kuip
Emi Buendía strike helped Villa to a successful return to De Kuip
Emi Buendía strike helped Villa to a successful return to De Kuip
Emi Buendía strike helped Villa to a successful return to De Kuip
Matchday Two saw the Villans revisit Rotterdam, returning to De Kuip for the first time since their famous European Cup final triumph over Bayern Munich in 1982.
A victory over Fulham at Villa Park to follow up their win against Bologna meant Emery’s charges were looking for three triumphs in a row, and after a goalless first period in the Netherlands, they broke the deadlock just after the hour mark.
Buendía rolled the ball out of his feet on the edge of the area and sent a spinning effort into the bottom corner.
It sent the Villans on their way to a 2-0 success, with McGinn sealing the points 11 minutes from time, as the visitors made it a successful trip back to a stadium which holds so many memories.
Youri back with a bang
Youri Tielemans sealed his return from injury with the winning goal against Basel
Youri Tielemans sealed his return from injury with the winning goal against Basel
Youri Tielemans sealed his return from injury with the winning goal against Basel
After missing a chunk of the first half of the campaign with injury, Youri Tielemans had returned to Villa’s side and was looking to make up for lost time.
With four wins from their five outings in the league phase thus far, Emery’s men travelled to Switzerland to take on Basel.
At half-time, with the score level at 1-1, Tielemans was introduced from the bench, and needed just eight minutes to make his mark.
The midfielder stroked a brilliant effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the area to put his side back ahead on Swiss soil, sealing a 2-1 triumph as the Villans continued to surge towards the knockout phase.
Sancho picks the perfect moment
Jadon Sancho netted his first Villa goal as top eight was secured at Fenerbahçe
Jadon Sancho netted his first Villa goal as top eight was secured at Fenerbahçe
Jadon Sancho netted his first Villa goal as top eight was secured at Fenerbahçe
After a break from European action over the festive period, Villa returned to Europa League affairs in the new year with the first of two trips to Istanbul this season, to take on Fenerbahçe.
A tight game at Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadyumu was sealed 25 minutes in, when the only goal of the encounter represented a personal milestone for Jadon Sancho.
The winger headed home Matty Cash’s cross for his first goal in Villa colours, as Emery’s men returned from Türkiye with a 1-0 win under their belts.
Another three points in the league phase sealed Villa’s place in the table’s top eight, ensuring they would advance straight to the last 16, skipping the round of 32 play-offs.
Jamma’s unforgettable moment
A late strike from Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba secured our top-two finish
A late strike from Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba secured our top-two finish
A late strike from Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba secured our top-two finish
And a week after securing their progression, the Villans went one better, sealing their spot in the table’s top two and ensuring the second leg of all their knockout ties would be played at Villa Park.
But it wasn’t all plane sailing in B6 against FC Salzburg. The Austrian visitors took the lead just after the half-hour before doubling their advantage four minutes into the second half.
Villa, however, showed character and resilience to stage a commendable comeback, as goals from Morgan Rogers and Tyrone Mings squared the affair back up at 2-2 with 14 minutes to play.
Then, with three minutes of normal time remaining, up stepped Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba, the youngster steering home a brilliant ball across from fellow academy product Kadan Young in front of The Holte End to snatch all three points, sparking scenes of jubilation at Villa Park and securing second spot in the table.
Ollie’s first Europa League goal
Ollie Watkins' first Europa League goal clinched a crucial first-leg advantage at Lille
Ollie Watkins' first Europa League goal clinched a crucial first-leg advantage at Lille
Ollie Watkins' first Europa League goal clinched a crucial first-leg advantage at Lille
Onto the knockout phase, and the Villans would again be returning to familiar territory in the round of 16 – in the form of Stade Pierre-Mauroy, where they faced off against LOSC Lille in the 2023/24 Conference League.
A cagey affair was sealed just after the hour mark, when Ollie Watkins struck his first goal in the Europa League.
Ezri Konsa’s long ball forward was flicked on by Buendía, and Watkins did the rest, looking a brilliant header over Berke Özer and in to seal a crucial first-leg advantage in France, helping Villa to triumph 3-0 on aggregate and book their spot in the last eight.
The goal was also a significant one in the sense it secured a 100th win for Unai Emery as Aston Villa boss, as he became the fastest manager to hit a century of triumphs in the club’s history.
The Italian Job
Watkins' late goal in Bologna sealed a 3-1 first-leg win in Italy
Watkins' late goal in Bologna sealed a 3-1 first-leg win in Italy
Watkins' late goal in Bologna sealed a 3-1 first-leg win in Italy
Ollie was it again in the quarter-finals, with a crucial brace in the first leg to seal a 3-1 win over Bologna.
Goals from Konsa and Watkins had put the Villans 2-0 up over Bologna at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, before Jonathan Rowe reduced the arrears late on.
But, more or less straight from kick-off, Villa raced up the other end and won a corner, which was prodded home by the England international who restored his side’s two-goal first-leg advantage.
The goal not only made sure of Villa’s first-ever victory on Italian soil, but also gave them handy breathing room heading into the second leg at Villa Park, which they would eventually win 4-0 to tie up a 7-1 aggregate success and book their spot in the last four.
One foot in the final
Ginny's first goal at home to Forest meant the Villans were almost in Istanbul
Ginny's first goal at home to Forest meant the Villans were almost in Istanbul
After Chris Wood’s penalty delivered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg of Villa’s semi-final tie at The City Ground, they knew the return against Nottingham Forest was a crucial one.
The opportunity to reach only a second major European final was up for grabs, and they did not pass it up, as goals from Watkins and Buendía turned the tie on its head and put Emery’s men 2-1 up on aggregate with just over half an hour to play.
The moment it all became real, however, was with 13 minutes to go, when McGinn kept the coolest head inside Villa Park to stroke a brilliant effort into the bottom corner, giving his side a two-goal buffer on aggregate as they put one foot on the plane back to Istanbul.
The passion and unbridled joy and jubilation was etched onto the face of our captain, who added to his tally with a strikingly similar effort three minutes later, completing a 4-0 second-leg rout and booking Villa’s spot in the final.
One hand on the trophy
Buendía goal on the stroke of half-time was a seminal moment in the final
Buendía goal on the stroke of half-time was a seminal moment in the final
And so, a marvellous campaign with 12 wins from 14 games brought the Villans back to Türkiye, where one last step needed to be taken in order to make history.
Emery led his side out at Beşiktaş Park, where a cagey opening half-hour ensued, as both sides looked the wrestle initiative in the final. The closing five minutes of the first half, however, changed the landscape completely.
Youri Tielemans’ stunning volley broke the deadlock four minutes before the break, and with just six seconds of the opening period remaining, Buendía bent a crucial yet sensational effort into the top corner to double Villa’s lead.
Having established a two-goal advantage on the very stroke of the break, the travelling Villans sensed their time had come, and knew it would be difficult for Freiburg to pull it back. There was even a sense of celebration in their air already at that stage, before Rogers struck in the second half to complete the 3-0 scoreline and ensure Aston Villa travelled home with the UEFA Europa League trophy.