Ross Barkley’s lucky break edges Aston Villa past Leipzig in five-goal thriller

After Jhon Durán netted yet another astonishingly powerful goal, he celebrated by holding out his hands to the Aston Villa fans, as if to say, "Relax, what were you expecting?" This might clarify why Unai Emery, his hands buried in the pockets of his long black puffer coat, appeared unfazed. Another substitute, Ross Barkley, ultimately secured the win as the match neared its end. However, after RB Leipzig had equalized twice, with Loïs Openda and Christoph Baumgartner responding to goals from John McGinn and Durán's spectacular strike, the tension was palpable.

Aston Villa fans chanted Emery's name the entire match, and his tactical adjustments clearly paid off. Durán once again delivered at a crucial moment, and Barkley found the net just two minutes after coming on for Youri Tielemans. Barkley fired a shot from the edge of the penalty area that took a fortunate deflection off German defender Lukas Klostermann, sending the ball past goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi and helping Villa climb to third place. With matches against Monaco and a home game against Celtic left in the group stage, Villa is well-placed to contend for a spot in the top eight.

“In the beginning, we aimed to be key players in the tournament, and now that we’ve made it to the top 24, we might even have a shot at the top eight,” Emery stated. “With two more games to go, we are feeling motivated, and our goals have risen since the start of this competition. After winning our last two matches in the Premier League, we’ve regained some of our confidence. It’s crucial for us to continue pushing forward in the Champions League.”

Villa got off to an ideal beginning as McGinn scored just 153 seconds into the game, thanks to some smart play from Ollie Watkins. Matty Cash, playing as a right wing-back, moved inside onto his left foot and sent a cross towards Watkins. He spotted McGinn and gently directed a header down into his captain's path. McGinn then sprinted past Nicolas Seiwald and finished the move with a precise shot. Watkins managed to slip away from Lutsharel Geertruida, who was a summer transfer target for Villa after joining from Feyenoord.

Over 2,000 fans of Villa made the trip to Germany for the team's opening match, with many enjoying the festive atmosphere of the Christmas markets and sipping on glühwein. McGinn's goal added to the excitement as Villa took control for the first 27 minutes of the game. However, Leipzig equalized with their first real chance. Morgan Rogers had a shot saved by Gulacsi, while Tielemans missed the target after a well-coordinated play involving Watkins, who had returned to the starting lineup despite Durán's winning performance in the last match. McGinn had linked up with Lucas Digne before Watkins set him up. Cash also missed an opportunity by shooting wide. At halftime, Watkins was substituted out for Durán due to a minor injury.

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Last month, Villa unintentionally set up Club Brugge for an easy win when Tyrone Mings intercepted a kick from Emiliano Martínez. While Leipzig's equalizer wasn't as embarrassing, it was still a significant mistake. This time, Martínez was at fault, but Diego Carlos also deserves some criticism. Siewald sent a long diagonal pass downfield, and Openda darted between Cash and Ezri Konsa to reach the ball, catching both Diego Carlos and his goalkeeper off guard, as Martínez rushed out to clear the threat. Openda capitalized on the confusion, snatched the ball from a vulnerable Martínez, and calmly scored into the empty net.

Whenever Durán is on the pitch, he tends to make a lasting impact. Early in the second half, Boubacar Kamara made a feeble attempt against Gulacsi that lacked conviction, but that couldn’t be said for Durán’s most recent stunning shot. The play began with Martínez and ended with Durán unleashing an unstoppable shot from nearly 30 yards over Gulacsi. Martínez sent a powerful pass into Tielemans, who executed a quick one-two with Rogers before finding Durán. With a determined mindset, Durán charged forward. Previously, he faced Manuel Neuer and Bayern Munich; now it was Gulacsi and Leipzig. Just six minutes later, Durán thought he had scored again, but Cash, who had passed the ball to the penalty spot after Konsa made a quick pass along the right, was deemed marginally offside in the build-up.

Leipzig, struggling and rarely posing a threat with Benjamin Sesko kept quiet, attempted to replicate a previous strategy. This time, Benjamin Henrichs launched a powerful diagonal pass down the field, finding Openda who raced between Diego Carlos and Konsa on the left side. Martínez briefly rushed out of his goal, seemingly trying to unsettle the Leipzig striker, but quickly retreated. Openda skillfully brought the ball under control and, facing pressure, noticed Baumgartner making a run towards the back post. Openda managed to lift a pass over Pau Torres's head, and Baumgartner connected, sending the ball across the goal and beyond Martínez's reach.

Emery must have been fuming inside at how his team let in two easily avoidable goals, as it looked like Leipzig was about to earn their first point in the tournament. But with just five minutes left in regulation, Barkley, thanks to a significant deflection, helped put Villa on track for the knockout stage. “We feel confident and secure in the Champions League,” Emery stated.