Aston Villa ran out comfortable 4-0 winners against Ajax on Thursday night, and thus sealed our place in the last eight of the Europa Conference League.
After a goalless draw in the first leg in Amsterdam last week, the tie was finely poised going into the meeting at Villa Park, and the pressure was on us after our heavy defeat to Tottenham at the weekend.
READ MORE: Watkins, Diego Carlos injury updates after setbacks in Villa win vs Ajax
Unai Emery called on the supporters to produce an atmosphere, and they duly delivered before the game and in the opening stages, and it was Ollie Watkins who scored the all-important opener to give us a crucial lead in the first half.
Villa found their rhythm in the second half as Leon Bailey, Jhon Duran and Moussa Diaby made it comfortable in the end, and not only can we now look forward to the quarter-final draw on Friday, but it’s hoped that we’ll take this form and level of performance into our clash with West Ham Utd on Sunday.
Aston Villa player ratings vs Ajax:
Emi Martinez, 7 – Wasn’t particularly tested throughout the game, but was alert when needed, whether that was commanding his area and collecting crosses or sweeping up behind his defenders. Distribution was accurate for the most part.
Matty Cash, 8 – Energetic and tenacious, he was solid defensively despite having an overlapping man to deal with as Ajax tried to exploit that time and time again. Made a huge goal-line clearance at the end of the first half which was a massive moment in the game.
Diego Carlos, 7 – Used his physicality and reading of the game well to limit Ajax’s attacking threat through the middle, dropped a little deeper at times to snuff out that threat in behind. Frustratingly though, picked up another injury as he departed in the latter stages with a hamstring issue.
Pau Torres, 7 – A composed and calm performance as always from the Spaniard, who was never rushed or forced into mistakes when trying to play out from the back despite facing pressure. Helped lead a solid defensive performance from the backline.
Alex Moreno, 6.5 – Had his hands full and was beaten on occasion with Ajax trying to get in behind him down that side. Stuck to his task well though and pushed forward when possible to give us some attacking impetus down the left flank too.
Leon Bailey, 8 – There’s an excitement and expectation whenever he gets on the ball now, particularly when in a 1v1 situation. Full of confidence and showing his quality, and took his goal brilliantly to put us in control in a key period in the game.
John McGinn, 7.5 – We’re going to miss the skipper’s presence during his league suspension, as this performance showed how crucial he is in both phases of the game. Made one mistake in the first half which almost proved costly, but that aside, he was tenacious and full of energy as always to give us a foothold in midfield.
Douglas Luiz, 7.5 – Not quite at his best for the most part and grew frustrated at times with his teammates who didn’t make the run he wanted. However, he still showed quality to dictate and played a lot further forward in the second half in a change of shape. Delivery was on point for the first goal, and added a second assist for Bailey’s effort.
Morgan Rogers, 6 – Showed promising signs cutting in from the left side as he looked a threat in transition with his pace and direct running. Picked up a yellow card early on and risked a second before the break, which in turn led to the decision to replace him at half-time.
Moussa Diaby, 8 – A much-needed confidence boost for the Frenchman, as he showed better intent and quality to add a real threat for us in the final third despite tweaks to his position. Took his goal brilliantly, and hopefully that finish helps him find more consistency and decisiveness with his form now.
Ollie Watkins, 7 – Brilliant header to break the deadlock from Luiz’s corner, but was forced off in the first half with a nasty cut to his leg. Showed great work ethic in the early stages to put pressure on Ajax at the back and force mistakes, but it was a shame to see his night end early, and it’s hoped he’s available this weekend.
Substitutes:
Jhon Duran, 8 – Came on with the right mentality and approach as he was a real nuisance for the Ajax defence with his movement and physicality. Smashed home his goal to kill the tie off with a top finish, and it’s just about finding consistency now if he gets a run in the side, while continuing to adapt and make the right decisions in his role in the side.
Youri Tielemans, 7 – Added more calmness and control in the second half to help us get on the ball and play to our tempo and rhythm.
Clement Lenglet, N/A
Tim Iroegbunam, N/A
Omari Kellyman, N/A
