Aston Villa secured a crucial 3-2 victory against RB Leipzig in a thrilling Champions League encounter on Tuesday. The victory moves Villa into third place in the group and puts them on course for direct qualification for the knockout stages.
The match saw several lead changes, with John McGinn And John Duran giving Villa the lead, but Leipzig equalizing Lois Openda And Christophe Baumgartner. However, a deflected shot from Ross Barkley in the 85th minute, the visiting team won.
The emotional conclusion to the match saw the assistant referee Alessandro Giallatiniwho was officiating his last match before his retirement, burst into tears. Giallatini, 49, was consoled by Leipzig manager Marc Rose as players and coaches shook hands.
Manager of Aston Villa Unai Emery praised his team’s consistency and resilience, saying: “We tried to overcome the mistakes we made and we did that. We played more or less regularly.
The win means Villa remain in contention for a top-eight place, which would secure their place in the Champions League last 16 without the need for a playoff.
Emery expressed his satisfaction with the result, saying: “Today we thought if we won we could be a contender in the last two matches to make the top eight. We succeeded in this option and we will try to place in the top eight.
With four wins in six Champions League matches so far, Aston Villa have proven themselves to be formidable opponents in Europe’s elite competition.
