Goal: Jadon Sancho 25′ Aston Villa
Sancho’s header secures Villa progress in Istanbul
Aston Villa booked their place in the Europa League last 16 with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Fenerbahce, as Jadon Sancho marked his first goal for the club with a decisive header in Istanbul.
The breakthrough arrived in the 25th minute when Matty Cash’s delivery flicked off the head of Ismail Yuksek and dropped perfectly for Sancho, who guided the ball beyond the goalkeeper to stun the home crowd and put Villa firmly on course for qualification.
Match statistics snapshot
- Shots on target: Aston Villa 5 – 6 Fenerbahce
- Total saves: Marco Bizot – 8
- Possession: Aston Villa 47% – 53% Fenerbahce
- Corners: Aston Villa 4 – 7 Fenerbahce
- Europa League record this season: 6 wins from 7 matches
Bizot’s eight saves proved decisive as Villa survived waves of pressure in a frantic second half, particularly after the hosts increased the tempo following the interval.
VAR drama and nervy finale
Fenerbahce thought they had equalised in the 75th minute when Kerem Akturkoglu fired in from close range, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside against John Duran in the build-up — a former Villa striker whose involvement added an extra twist to the moment.
Villa themselves had a second effort ruled out earlier when Morgan Rogers finished from close range after a square pass from Sancho, only for VAR to spot the winger had drifted marginally beyond the last defender.
Emery downplays Tielemans flashpoint
Tension boiled over late on when Youri Tielemans was withdrawn in stoppage time and appeared to clash with Unai Emery on the touchline. The Spaniard later laughed off the moment, telling broadcasters: “He’s my son.”
Former Villa defender Joleon Lescott was less convinced, saying: “It might be innocent, but I don’t like that. If it were the other way around and a player ignored his manager, people would question his professionalism.”
Sancho: “We’ve been practising those headers”
After opening his Villa account, Jadon Sancho revealed the goal had come straight from the training ground. “I was pointing at Ezri Konsa because we’ve been practising those headers,” he said. “The manager keeps telling me to be positive. It’s nice to have someone who backs you and believes in you.”
The winger could easily have doubled his tally, while Matty Cash struck the post and Tyrone Mings fired narrowly wide as Villa pressed for breathing space.
Milestone night for Emery
The victory marked Emery’s 100th match as a manager in the Europa League and kept alive his hopes of lifting the trophy for a record fifth time. With qualification secured and a top-eight finish guaranteed, Aston Villa now turn their attention to the knockout rounds with growing belief and momentum.
