January 22, (THEWILL) — Aston Villa guaranteed their place in the Europa League round of 16 with a 1-0 victory over Fenerbahce in Istanbul. The win marked the sixth triumph in seven matches for Unai Emery’s side during the league stage.
Jadon Sancho scored the decisive goal in the 25th minute, heading past former Manchester City goalkeeper, Ederson, after Matty Cash delivered a cross from the right wing that deflected off Jayden Oosterwolde. Milan Skriniar prevented Sancho from doubling the lead before the interval with strong defensive work.
Villa goalkeeper, Marco Bizot, made a crucial save to deny Anderson Talisca on the hour mark. Cash later hit the post from distance, and Ollie Watkins had a goal ruled out for offside in the build-up before the ball deflected in off Ismail Yuksek.
Fenerbahce also saw a goal disallowed late in the match. Former Villa forward, Jhon Duran, was ruled offside following a VAR review, meaning Kerem Akturkoglu’s finish did not count.
The result confirmed Villa’s top-eight finish in the league stage, allowing them to bypass the knockout play-off round and progress directly to the last 16 of the competition.
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.
