December 12, (THEWILL) — Youri Tielemans struck a second-half winner to give Aston Villa a 2-1 triumph over Basel in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening. The Belgian midfielder, introduced at the interval by manager Unai Emery, needed just seven minutes to make his mark with a composed finish that lifted Villa to third in the league phase standings.
Basel took an early lead through Evann Guessand, who converted from close range inside 12 minutes after Xherdan Shaqiri failed to deal with a corner. The home side appeared in control before Flavius Daniliuc inadvertently diverted Shaqiri’s free-kick delivery beyond his own goalkeeper Marco Bizot to restore parity before half-time.
Emery withdrew Matty Cash for Tielemans at the break, and the substitution proved decisive. The midfielder collected possession and curled a low effort into the bottom-right corner with minimal fuss, putting Villa ahead for the first time in the match.
Both Guessand and Jadon Sancho threatened to extend Villa’s advantage, whilst Metinho fired off target for Basel in the closing stages. The visitors held firm to claim maximum points and draw level with leaders Lyon on the league phase table.
The victory marked an eighth successive win across all competitions for the English Premier League club. Emery’s tactical adjustment at half-time ultimately proved the difference in a competitive encounter that swung both ways before Villa’s quality told.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
