Unai Emery dedicated Aston Villa’s debut Champions League win over Young Boys to former striker Gary Shaw.
Villa’s return to the top table of European football was overshadowed by Monday’s death of Shaw, a golden boy of the club’s past success at this level when he helped them to European Cup glory in 1982.
Emery wanted his current crop before the game to win it for Shaw and they listened as they began life in the modernised competition in style thanks to goals from Youri Tielemans, Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana.
The Spaniard said: “We try to follow. Forty-two years they achieved winning the Champions League and winning the trophy.
This team 💜 pic.twitter.com/i5i5XN8d3L
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 17, 2024
“Of course we want to dedicate this victory to Gary Shaw, his family and all of the Aston Villa family.
“We want to try to get in our way and follow what that team achieved.”
The Prince of Wales also paid tribute to Shaw.
Villa fan William tweeted: “The last time @AVFCOfficial won in the top European competition, it was the month before I was born. Let’s hope tonight is the first step towards another European adventure!
“My thoughts this evening are also with Villa legend Gary Shaw’s friends and family following his passing yesterday.”
The last time @AVFCOfficial won in the top European competition, it was the month before I was born. Let’s hope tonight is the first step towards another European adventure!
My thoughts this evening are also with Villa legend Gary Shaw’s friends and family following his passing…
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 17, 2024
Goals from Tielemans and Ramsey in the space of 11 first-half minutes gave Villa control after Young Boys had started strongly.
Ollie Watkins had a goal disallowed for handball in the build-up, with Jhon Duran also seeing an effort scrubbed out for the same reason.
Onana killed the game in the final 10 minutes to give Villa the perfect start.
“We were adapting at the beginning to the plastic pitch, it’s very different,” Emery added. “We were losing some balls, they were attacking.
“We defended well and Emiliano (Martinez) was doing his work. We were feeling better on the pitch, getting in the box and creating some chances and scored from a set-piece then we were feeling confident.
“But it’s very, very important how we got the win – by respecting the opponent and being responsible.
“The players were mature, organised and imposing throughout the game.”
Emery played down injury fears for England striker Watkins, who came off on the hour and was pictured with ice on his heel.
“He’s working well, he played well and I decided to change him like another player. He’s OK,” he said.
Young Boys coach Patrick Rahmen knew his side had to be perfect to have any chance.
“Of course we are disappointed, we had great plans for tonight,” he said.
“We started the match well and we played well for the first 30 minutes. We needed the perfect game tonight and we didn’t manage it. We deserved to lose.”
[(SK Slovan Bratislava) Strength]: 1. Coming into the UEFA Europa League Play-off round, SK Slovan Bratislava hope to grab the advantage of advancing in this home game, with full motivation.2. SK Slovan Bratislava defeated MFK Skalica 1-0 at home in the last Slovak Super Liga game. They kept unbeaten in the first 3 league games with 2 wins and 1 draw.3. SK Slovan Bratislava scored in 6 of the last...
[(SC Preussen Munster) Strength]: 1. SC Preussen Munster will play at home in this match. The team must defend their home honor and their fighting spirit is beyond doubt.[(SC Preussen Munster) Weakness]: 1. SC Preussen Munster suffered a defeat in the midweek DFB-Pokal match, being eliminated 3-5 by Hertha BSC after a grueling battle that went all the way to penalties, which is a blow to their mor...
[(Real Betis) Strength]: 1. Real Betis failed to start with a win in the first La Liga game this season. They are eager to win and boost their morale.2. Real Betis' new signing midfielder Rodrigo Riquelme contributed an assist in the first league game, showing decent performances.3. Real Betis scored in each of the recent 6 games, boasting stable offense.4. Real Betis received 10 wins, 7 draws, an...
[(Palmeiras) Strength]: 1. In the first leg, Palmeiras secured a resounding 4-0 away victory over Universitario de Deportes, gaining a huge advantage in the race for advancing. Hosting this game at their home ground, Palmeiras will naturally go all out to avoid being reversed by the opponents, ensuring a smooth advance to the next round and continuing their charge towards the Copa Libertadores tro...
[(River Plate) Strength]: 1. The two teams drew 0-0 in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16. Returning to their home ground for this game, River Plate are united in their determination to beat Club Libertad and advance to the quarter-finals, with a strong desire to win.2. Red-hot River Plate kept unbeaten in the last 7 games with 4 wins and 3 draws. They beat Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba...
[(NK Rijeka) Strength]: 1. NK Rijeka, powerhouses in Croatia, have a strong pursuit of honors. After dropping down from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, the team are eager to prove themselves in the UEFA Europa League, aiming to enhance their stature in European football and bring glory to both the club and their supporters.[(NK Rijeka) Weakness]: 1. NK Rijeka defender Mile Skoric will miss t...
[(KFUM-Kameratene Oslo) Strength]: 1. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo have achieved 7 wins, 5 draws and 6 losses in the league so far this season, scoring 29 goals and conceding 20 in 18 league games, and currently rank 7th in the league standings. The team will play at home in this game with great desire to win.2. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo's major forward Johannes Nunez has performed steadily in the team's front...
[(Vaasan Palloseura) Strength]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura have been in poor recent form. In this home match, they are motivated to rebound.[(Vaasan Palloseura) Weakness]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura drew 0-0 with HJK Helsinki on the road in the last game. They are on a 1-game winless run.2. Vaasan Palloseura were winless in 7 consecutive home games, failing to show their home advantage.3. Vaasan Palloseura co...
[(West Ham United F.C.) Neutral]: 1. West Ham United F.C. recently expressed their desire to sign their upcoming opponents Chelsea's player Andrey Santos, but their offer was rejected. Chelsea informed West Ham that they have no intention of selling the player.2. West Ham United F.C. scored 46 goals in 38 league games last season, averaging over 1 goal per game. However, their offense is still con...
[(Aberdeen F.C.) Strength]: 1. If Aberdeen F.C. can advance to the UEFA Europa League group stage, it would mark a historic milestone for the club. This huge honor will undoubtedly greatly boost the team's fighting spirit.[(Aberdeen F.C.) Neutral]: 1. The two sides have never met before, and there are no relevant track record available for reference at present.[(Aberdeen F.C.) Weakness]: 1. Aberde...
- 1 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 2 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 3 Alaves vs Levante Prediction for today 17 August 2025 - Football
- 4 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 5 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 6 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 7 Emotional Arne Slot admits he had wanted to bring late Diogo Jota on as a substitute in Liverpool's dramatic victory over Bournemouth
- 8 Benjamin Sesko vs Viktor Gyokeres: Man Utd-Arsenal showdown sets early stage for big-money No.9s to show the Premier League what they can offer
- 9 Man United Make Goalkeeper Decision Amid Onana and Bayindir Uncertainty
- 10 Liverpool signing Leoni: I want to learn from Van Dijk