European Super Football

Aston Villa 1 - 0 Bayern Munich In an electrifying evening at Villa Park, Jhon Duran once again made a stunning impact off the bench, securing a glorious Champions League victory for Aston Villa over Bayern Munich. The occasion was steeped in history, evoking memories of Villa’s famous 1982 European Cup triumph against the German side in Rotterdam. This time, Duran replicated that iconic scoreline, netting his fifth goal as a substitute this season. Brought on in the 70th minute to replace Ollie Watkins, it took Duran just nine minutes to make his presence felt. Spotting Bayern’s experienced keeper, Manuel Neuer, out of position, he calmly lobbed the ball into the net. A closer look at a sensational night in the Midlands For Villa manager Unai Emery, this was another resounding success. The result builds on Villa's strong start to their Champions League   campaign having beaten Young Boys 3-0 in Switzerland in their opening match. Villa Park, hosting its first Champions Le...

Aston Villa 4 - 2 Celtic Ollie Watkins played a key role in Aston Villa’s victory over Celtic, securing their place in the last 16 of the Champions League – just hours after Arsenal’s interest in the England striker became public. Author - Sean M Stadium - Villa Park Check out this iconic banner from the Villa fans . Watkins restored Villa’s lead after they had squandered an early 2-0 advantage, while Morgan Rogers, who set the tone early on, went on to complete a hat-trick in the emphatic win over the Scottish champions. Celtic now face a daunting play-off clash against Bayern Munich. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Watkins, who won a second-half penalty but slipped at the crucial moment, sending his effort high and wide. Villa have no plans to part ways with the 29-year-old forward, especially now that Unai Emery’s side have secured qualification for the knockout stages, finishing eighth in the table. See some of the highlights in the video above. Footage from the Celtic YouT...

Aston Villa 1 - 1 Ipswich Town Ipswich Town produced a gutsy performance to claim a valuable Premier League point at Villa Park, despite playing almost an hour with 10 men. Author - Marcus Stadium - Villa Park The match had been uneventful until Axel Tuanzebe, facing his former club, brought down Jacob Ramsey on the edge of the area, picking up a second yellow card and leaving Ipswich with an uphill task. Up to that point, the visitors had defended resolutely, and they continued to frustrate Villa even with a numerical disadvantage. Against the run of play, Ipswich took a shock lead when Liam Delap beat Axel Disasi to Omari Hutchinson’s low cross, steering the ball into the far corner to silence the home crowd. As frustration grew among the Villa supporters, Ollie Watkins eventually levelled, reacting quickest after Marcus Rashford’s thunderous free-kick crashed against the crossbar. Villa pushed hard for a winner, with Marco Asensio missing a golden chance before forcing Alex Palm...

Aston Villa 2 - 0 Cardiff City Marco Asensio was the star of the show for Aston Villa again as he helped them secure a deserved 2-0 win over Championship strugglers Cardiff City in the FA Cup. Author - Jamie P Stadium - Villa Park The hosts maintained control throughout the match but faced a strong performance from visiting goalkeeper Ethan Horvath, who made several crucial saves to keep Cardiff competitive. In a clash of attack versus defense, the hosts struggled to break down Cardiff's low block. However, they eventually found the breakthrough when Marco Asensio scored from a precise cross by Marcus Rashford. Asensio secured the win in the 80th minute with another clinical finish, converting a cross from Leon Bailey. This was his fourth goal since joining on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in January. This could still be a landmark year for Aston Villa This year for Villa could yet be one for the history books, with Unai Emery’s side still in the hunt for silverware on two fron...

Aston Villa 2 - 1 Chelsea New signings Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford combined twice as Aston Villa came from behind to beat Chelsea, grabbing three valuable points in their push for European qualification. Author - Lauren W Stadium - Villa Park An excellent piece of play out wide from Pedro Neto fashioned a ninth-minute opener for Chelsea, with the winger skipping past Ian Maatsen before drilling a low delivery across the face of the goal which only required a slight prod from Enzo Fernandez to turn it past Emiliano Martinez. Although Chelsea appeared to have the upper hand, they failed to maintain control of the match. The introduction of Rashford at halftime proved crucial; he was initially ruled offside, but the video assistant referee overturned that decision. Rashford then assisted Asensio by tapping a Matty Cash cross across the six-yard box, allowing Asensio to score for Aston Villa and level the game. After again being fed by fellow mid-season recruit Rashford, Asensio ...

Crystal Palace 4 - 1 Aston Villa Ismaila Sarr’s brace inspired a ruthless Crystal Palace to sweep aside Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, keeping their push for a top-half Premier League finish on track. Author - Jamie P Stadium - Selhurst Park A closer look at what happened at South London Home form has been a concern for manager Oliver Glasner, with the Eagles securing just two league wins at Selhurst Park before this fixture. However, any concerns pre match vanished very quickly.  Marking his 27th birthday in style, Sarr gave Palace a strong start in the first half. Villa briefly levelled through Morgan Rogers early in the second half, but that only spurred the hosts on to take complete control on a memorable night in SE25. Jean-Philippe Mateta restored Palace’s lead moments later with a superb finish, moving him up to second in the club’s all-time Premier League goalscoring chart with 36 goals. Sarr then grabbed his second of the night before Eddie Nketiah, coming off the benc...

Aston Villa 2 - 1 Manchester City Manchester City's crisis intensified as they slipped to another damaging defeat at Aston Villa. Author - Macca Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers goals meant Phil Foden's late reply for the visitors was little consolation. Defending champions City have dropped to sixth in the Premier League, nine points behind leaders Liverpool having played two games more, while Villa have moved above them into fifth. It is now nine defeats in 12 games in all competitions for City, who are winless in their last eight away matches, as their season continues to spiral downwards. Pep Guardiola made six changes from the Manchester derby defeat last week but it made little difference during another laboured performance. The latest Manchester City news and stories What's going wrong for the Premier League champions?  Villa, who had won just three of their previous 11 top-flight games, earned a much-needed victory, one which keeps their top-four hopes firmly alive....

Aston Villa 2 - 2 Liverpool Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points after a thrilling draw against Aston Villa. Author - William G Stadium - Villa Park The Reds, unbeaten in the league since their 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield in September, were made to pay for defensive lapses and a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal. Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead in the 29th minute, but Villa responded through Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins. Trent Alexander-Arnold then equalised 16 minutes into the second half to ensure the points were shared. With their lead over second-placed Arsenal now extended, Arne Slot’s side face Manchester City on Sunday in what could prove to be a pivotal week in the title race. Meanwhile, Arsenal host West Ham on Saturday, knowing that a win – coupled with a Liverpool defeat at the Etihad – would put them within touching distance of the leaders with a game in hand. For Villa, Marcus Rashford was handed his ...

 Aston Villa 2 - 4 Olympiakos "Everything that could have gone wrong, did." Those were the words of one Aston Villa fan as their chances of reaching a first European final since 1982 were severely dented against Olympiakos. The star man on the night for the visitors was Ayoub El Kaabi. He scored a hat-trick, netting twice early on. Ollie Watkins then reduced the deficit for Unai Emery's side and Moussa Diaby equalised moments after the interval. Villa Park was rocking at this point, creating an atmosphere that had not been seen at the famous old stadium for many years.  However, Olympiakos roared back into a two-goal lead with a El Kaabi penalty and a deflected strike from Santiago Hezze.  Douglas Luiz missed a late penalty, meaning Villa must overturn a two-goal deficit in the second leg.  The Greek Super League side have actually never reached a major European final. They played without fear and attacking verve as they pressed and harassed Villa into defe...

 Aston Villa 3 - 3 Liverpool Aston Villa pulled off a thrilling late comeback against Liverpool at Villa Park to secure a crucial point in the battle for fourth place in the Premier League. Villa had the chance to seal a Champions League spot with a win, setting the stage for an electric atmosphere ahead of kickoff, highlighted by a special address to the fans from Hollywood icon and avid supporter Tom Hanks. However, Unai Emery's squad found themselves trailing 3-1 with just five minutes remaining, seemingly leaving the door ajar for Tottenham, but two goals from substitute Jhon Duran turned the tide, securing an improbable draw. The early festivities took a hit within minutes when goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez's unfortunate blunder saw him deflect Harvey Elliott's cross into his own net, leaving the Holte End in disbelief. Villa then rallied as Youri Tielemans slammed home an equaliser after 12 minutes, only for Liverpool to regain the lead through Cody Gakpo, exploit...

Club Brugge 1 - 3 Aston Villa Aston Villa took control of their Champions League last-16 tie with a 3-1 victory over Club Brugge, capitalising on a late collapse from the Belgian side to gain an advantage ahead of next Wednesday’s second leg. Author - Jamie P Stadium - Jan Breydelstadion Pictures from the away end Brugge had looked the more composed team for much of the contest but were left to rue their own mistakes after conceding twice in the closing stages against an underwhelming Villa. The hosts’ downfall began when Brandon Mechele inadvertently turned Morgan Rogers’ cross into his own net. Just five minutes later, a careless challenge from Christos Tzolis on Matty Cash gifted Villa a penalty, which Marco Asensio confidently dispatched. The three-time Champions League winner has now scored three goals in his last two appearances for the club. How the match unfolded Leon Bailey gave Villa the perfect start, volleying home inside three minutes to put the visitors in front. ...

Brighton and Hove Albion 1 - 0 Aston Villa The impact of this Villa defeat was ultimately lessened after Spurs lost 4 - 2 away at Liverpool  Joao Pedro scored a late goal as Brighton put a small dent in Aston Villa's Champions League hopes at the Amex Stadium. The winner arrived when Pedro scored a rebound in the 87th minute after his penalty was saved by Robin Olsen. Earlier in the match, Pascal Gross had an effort for the hosts ruled out for offside by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) . At the other end of the pitch, Villa captain John McGinn was also judged to be inches ahead of the Brighton defence before scoring in vain. Brighton's beat Aston Villa in a home game for the first time in the Premier League since its inception and for the first time at home across all competitions since December 1980. For Brighton fans, this win was a huge relief. Even then, they will have a few concerns. A lack of goals is not a characteristic often associated with Brighton managed by De...

 Middlesborough 0 - 1 Aston Villa Aston Villa secured their first FA Cup victory since 2016, as Matty Cash delivered a late winning goal against Middlesbrough.  Highlights below from  The Emirates FA Cup - YouTube   The Championship club Boro was on the verge of forcing a replay when Cash's shot from outside the box took an unexpected deflection, ultimately beating goalkeeper Tom Glover. The Australian keeper had earlier displayed an impressive performance at the lively Riverside Stadium, frustrating the Premier League visitors with saves against young Colombia forward Jhon Duran (twice) and captain John McGinn. Villa' s frustration grew as Ezri Konsa's header hit the post before Poland full-back Cash scored his fourth goal of the season in three different competitions. Magic of the FA Cup: 2023/2024 (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) More Aston Villa news and stories This victory marked a significant milestone for Villa, a seven-time FA Cup-winning team that had ...

It was a huge weekend in the bid to secure Premier League football for next season. First of all. Aston Villa 2 - 0 Norwich City Norwich were relegated from the Premier League after a defeat against Aston Villa at Villa Park. You can read more about that here.  PL: Norwich relegated (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)   Then Burnley picked up a hugely important three points with win over Watford. Burnley scored two goals in the final seven minutes to complete a comeback that pulled them five points clear of the Premier League relegation zone. It also left hosts Watford on the brink of the drop. Jack Cork's header from Charlie Taylor's left-wing cross cancelled out James Tarkowski's early own goal. Josh Brownhill equalised after he found the bottom corner from the edge of the box to spark jubilant scenes among the travelling fans and in the away dugout at Vicarage Road. Watford had previously taken the lead when Juraj Kucka's fierce effort struck the crossbar before reb...

Everton 4 - 0 Leicester City Everton stormed into a two-goal lead inside the opening six minutes—one of the fastest starts in Premier League history—on their way to dismantling a hapless Leicester City at Goodison Park. Author - Sarah W  Stadium - Goodison Park What had been billed as a crucial relegation scrap quickly became a one-sided affair, as the Toffees’ electric first half fired them nine points clear of danger. However, Wolves’ 2-0 victory over Aston Villa ensured the Foxes tumbled into the bottom three. Abdoulaye Doucoure wasted no time in setting the tone, latching onto Jordan Pickford’s long ball and slotting home after just 10.18 seconds—the fastest goal in Everton’s history and the fourth quickest ever recorded in the Premier League. Only Shane Long, Philip Billing, and Ledley King have scored quicker in the competition. Leicester’s static defending invited further punishment, and Everton duly obliged. Moments later, Beto raced onto James Tarkowski’s through ball ...

The 23/24 season isn't even finished yet.  The transfer rumours are already flying in from across all angles.  Let's explore some of the latest rumours from Europe's biggest clubs and also get some immediate reaction. It could be a busy summer at Old Trafford It has been reported across several media outlets that Manchester United have not given up on their attempts to land Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite . This is despite the new-look Old Trafford hierarchy deciding they will not entertain paying up to £80million when the transfer window reopens in the coming weeks. Additional rumours also say that the club have decided that the maximum they are willing to fork out for Branthwaite's signature is £55million.  Manchester United and Barcelona are reportedly vying for the signature of England international Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa. Watkins has had an outstanding season under the management of Unai Emery, becoming a key player for the team. Watkins' performan...

England’s squad to take on Malta and North Macedonia in June’s Euro 2024 qualifiers has been named by Gareth Southgate. England's next internationals start with a trip to Malta for the first match on Friday 16th June.  They then travel to Manchester, where North Macedonia will be the opposition at Old Trafford on Monday 19th June. Among the list of players mentioned, you will see Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze. This would be his first senior call-up. The former Millwall and QPR youngster had previously been capped at Under 21s level.  In a statement on the England Football website, it is confirmed that: "The majority of the squad will report to St. George’s Park to begin their preparations for the games on Monday 12 June, while players involved with their clubs at UEFA European Finals will join at a later date." Euro 2024 Qualifying (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The England squad in full Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsd...