Aston Villa secured a place in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 with a game to spare after a 1-0 victory over Fenerbahce. Jadon Sancho’s first goal in Villa colours proved decisive for Unai Emery’s side on Matchday Seven, as he headed home Matty Cash’s cross in the 25th minute.
Villa nearly doubled their advantage shortly after the hour mark, with Cash’s long-range effort striking the upright. Fenerbahce increased the pressure in search of an equaliser, forcing goalkeeper Marco Bizot into several saves, the best of which denied substitute Anderson Talisca.
The win, coupled with results elsewhere, means that only a maximum of five teams can now overtake the second-placed Villans in the league-phase table, ensuring that they can finish no lower than seventh. A top-eight finish sends Emery’s men directly into the round of 16, bypassing the knockout phase play-offs scheduled for February.
It is the second consecutive season that Villa have finished in the top eight of a European competition and progressed straight to the last 16, having finished eighth in last season’s Champions League group stage before eventually reaching the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, Roma edged out Stuttgart at the Stadio Olimpico, with Niccolò Pisilli scoring late in each half to secure a crucial win. In a high-tempo contest, Stuttgart went close through Jamie Leweling before Roma academy graduate Pisilli opened the scoring following a defence-splitting pass from Matias Soule, UEFA reported.
Deniz Undav missed Stuttgart’s best chance in the second half before Pisilli sealed the result in stoppage time. The result ensures that both teams will at least feature in the knockout phase play-offs.
In another match, Ryan Yates scored an own goal less than a minute after Morgan Gibbs-White missed a penalty for Nottingham Forest, as Braga claimed a vital home win in Portugal. Chances were scarce in the first half, but the game sparked into life when Gibbs-White failed from the spot, followed by Yates inadvertently turning the ball into his own net moments later.
Ola Aina’s powerful long-range effort rattled the crossbar for Forest, while Pau Victor struck the post for the hosts. Elliot Anderson was sent off late on as Forest finished the match with 10 men.
—IANS
