After Jhon Durán scored another stunning goal within minutes of entering the field, he celebrated by showing the Aston Villa supporters his palms, as if to say, 'Calm down, what else did you expect?' Perhaps that explains why Unai Emery, hands in his pockets, remained unfazed. Another substitute, Ross Barkley, eventually secured victory, though Leipzig managed to equalize twice, with Lois Openda and Christoph Baumgartner cancelling out goals by John McGinn and Durán. Villa fans chanted Emery's name throughout, and his substitutions proved to be inspired. Durán made another crucial contribution, while Barkley scored just two minutes after replacing Youri Tielemans.
Barkley's goal came from the edge of the box, with his right-footed shot taking a wicked deflection off Lukas Klostermann, leaving Peter Gulacsi wrong-footed and pushing Villa up to third place. With a trip to Monaco and a home game against Celtic remaining in the league phase, Villa are well-positioned to aim for the top eight. Earlier in the day, Villa's youth team played a classic match in the UEFA Youth League, winning 4-3 thanks to two stoppage-time goals, including a penalty from 17-year-old Ben Broggio, who made his first-team debut in September.
The bar was set high. Villa made a perfect start, with McGinn scoring in the third minute after clever play by Ollie Watkins. Matty Cash, operating as a right wing-back, cut inside and floated a cross towards Watkins, who spotted McGinn and cushioned a header into his captain's path. McGinn, who darted past Nicolas Seiwald, finished with a crisp shot. Watkins, despite seeing another tame shot blocked, was replaced by Durán at halftime.
Villa dominated the opening 27 minutes, but Leipzig equalized with their first meaningful attack. Morgan Rogers' shot was straight at Gulacsi, and Youri Tielemans missed a chance after a slick team move. Watkins, back in the starting lineup despite Durán's weekend winner, squared the ball after combining with Lucas Digne. Cash also missed a chance, while Watkins saw another shot repelled. Villa's first game in Germany saw over 2,000 supporters travel, many enjoying the Christmas market and glühwein before the match.
Leipzig's equalizer came from a mistake by Emiliano Martínez, though Diego Carlos also bore some responsibility. Siewald's long diagonal pass found Openda, who capitalized on the confusion between Cash, Konsa, and Carlos to score into an empty net. Durán, however, soon made his mark again, scoring a stunning goal from almost 30 yards out. The move started with Martínez, who passed to Tielemans, and then to Durán, who surged forward with only one thing on his mind.
Leipzig tried to repeat their earlier trick, with Benjamin Henrichs supplying a long diagonal pass that Openda controlled expertly. He then passed to Baumgartner, who scored past Martínez. Ten minutes later, Villa conceded again, with Emery likely frustrated by the team's defensive lapses. But Barkley's goal, aided by a significant deflection, put Villa on course for the last 16.
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