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Catch up with all the action from Aston Villa vs RB Salzburg in the Europa League
Aston Villa Completed a dramatic turnaround at Villa Park, beating from two goals down RB Salzburg In 3-2 Europa LeagueHowever, it came at the cost of losing star striker Ollie Watkins to a hamstring injury.
The hosts started brilliantly and almost struck in the opening minute. Emiliano Buendia fed Watkins just outside the area and his powerful effort was only partially controlled by Alexander Schlager.
Harvey Elliott reacted first to the rebound, but the Salzburg goalkeeper recovered quickly to block again from close range.
Salzburg quickly moved into the contest and began to exploit Villa’s unfamiliar defensive setup. Karim Konate was a constant outlet, holding onto the ball well and allowing runners to connect with him. Emiliano Martinez was called into action on 19 minutes with a superb double save, first denying Konate and then reacting quickly to keep out Soumaila Diabate’s follow-up.
Villa’s problems deepened in the second half when Watkins pulled his hamstring and was forced off.
Morgan Rogers replaced him, but distractions appeared almost immediately. At 33 minutes, Tyrone Mings fumbled while trying to regain possession of Martinez.
Edmund Baidu pressed aggressively, nicked the ball and Connaught crossed to head home, Victor Lindelof unable to stop him crossing the line.
The visitors continued to threaten before the break, with Baidu again on target only to be denied by Martinez.
Villa Park were beaten at half-time, with the home side trailing 1-0 after an uneven first half.
Unai Emery responded at the interval by introducing Matty Cash, and the change changed the balance of the game.
Villa pressed high and moved the ball more quickly, but Salzburg struck again just three minutes after the restart.
Karim Alajbegovic overcame two challenges on the right and fizzed a low cross into the six-yard box, where substitute Moussa Konfolo Yeo finished neatly at the near post to make it 2-0.
At the time, Villa looked to be in real trouble. The crowd was flat and Salzburg looked comfortable in possession and breaking straight. However, the game changed after a double substitution after the hour mark, with Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba and Ezri Konsa coming on. The tempo picked up, and Villa finally started to turn the pressure into chances.
The comeback began on 64 minutes. Buendia threaded a clever pass into the box for Rodgers, who finished his run well and calmly finished at the near post.
The goal injected confidence into the home side and lifted the atmosphere inside the stadium.
Villa continued to push forward with Jimoh-Aloba particularly lively. The teenager forced Schlager into a strong save from the edge of the area and Salzburg began to look stretched.
That pressure paid off on 76 minutes when Cash delivered a curling cross from the left. Mings rose above the defense and drove hard into the net, making amends for his earlier mistake and leveling the score.
With Salzburg tiring, Villa sensed an opportunity to complete the turnaround. Jimoh-Aloba grew in confidence and was heavily involved in the final stages.
The decisive moment came on 87 minutes. After Salzburg lost possession while trying to keep the ball, Villa countered at speed.
Kadan Young held onto his marker on the right and slid a perfectly weighted pass into Jimoh-Aloba’s path. The midfielder pounced on it and guided a composed finish into the bottom corner to put Villa ahead.
Salzburg pressed for a reply in stoppage time, but Villa managed the final minutes effectively. Jimoh-Aloba scored one last try before the whistle confirmed a memorable 3-2 victory.
