Aston Villa won the Europa League by convincingly defeating Freiburg 3-0 in the final on Wednesday in Istanbul. Goals from Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendía, and Morgan Rogers sealed a victory that ends a three-decade wait for the Birmingham club, who had not won a trophy since 1996.
Tielemans lights the fuse
After a long period of pressure, Aston Villa turned the tide of the final just before halftime. In the 41st minute, Youri Tielemans opened the scoring with a powerful shot, rewarding the English side's growing momentum. Freiburg, disciplined until then, lost their way in a match that Villa immediately locked down.
Buendía stuns Fribourg before the break
The turning point came in first-half stoppage time. Emiliano Buendía doubled the lead in the 45+3 minute, putting Aston Villa in an ideal position going into the break. Trailing 2-0 at halftime, Freiburg then had to fight for a place in the final that was already seriously compromised.
Rogers kills all suspense
Morgan Rogers sealed the victory in the 58th minute. This third goal transformed the end of the match into a controlled affair for Aston Villa, who were more clinical in front of goal and more solid during periods of pressure. Freiburg had more of the ball, with 52% possession, but Villa were more dangerous: six shots on target to two and eight corners to one.
Emery, boss of the minor European Cup
This victory further cements the unique bond between Unai Emery and the Europa League. Already a three-time winner with Sevilla in 2014, 2015, and 2016, and then with Villarreal in 2021, the Spanish coach adds a fifth title in the competition to his record. He thus reinforces his status as the coach most closely associated with this cup, having also reached the final with Arsenal in 2019.
