Aston Villa's English midfielder #41 Jacob Ramsey (L) fights for the ball with Young Boys' Swiss forward #77 Joel Monteiro during the UEFA Champions League 1st round day 1 football match between Young Boys and Aston Villa, at the Wankdorf Stadium in Bern, on September 17, 2024. (Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP)
Aston Villa made a triumphant return to the UEFA Champions League with a dominant 3-0 win over Swiss champions BSC Young Boys at the Stadion Wankdorf. In their first encounter, Villa weathered an early storm, with Emiliano Martínez making crucial saves to deny Filip Ugrinic and Ebrima Colley in the opening minutes.
Despite Young Boys’ bright start, Villa broke the deadlock in the 27th minute through a clever set-piece move. Youri Tielemans expertly guided John McGinn’s cross into the far corner, putting the visitors ahead against the run of play.
Jacob Ramsey extended Villa’s lead in the second half after an error from Mohamed Ali Camara, who gifted Ollie Watkins a penalty opportunity, allowing Ramsey to fire home. Although Villa had two goals disallowed by VAR, they capped the match with a third, courtesy of substitute Amadou Onana’s powerful strike.
The victory gives Unai Emery’s side a perfect start in their Champions League campaign, with three points in the bag as they look ahead to their next European fixture, a much-anticipated clash against Bayern Munich.
