Europa Conference League: Aston Villa 2 Legia Warsaw 1 - Report
Villa might have completed the Europa Conference League group stage with a perfect home record of three wins from three, yet none has come easy.
This 2-1 win over Legia Warsaw, marred by the violent scenes outside before kick-off which saw three police officers injured and visiting supporters barred from entering the stadium, was no exception.
It leaves Unia Emery's team still needing a draw in their final match away at Zrinjski Mostar to guarantee topping Group E and avoiding February’s extra play-off round in the knockout stages.
Ahead through Moussa Diaby’s early strike, Villa were pegged back after a Boubacar Kamara error allowed Ernest Muci to equalise.
Alex Moreno, in his first appearance after more than six months out with injury, got what proved to be the winner just before the hour mark but Villa could not find the other goal necessary to give Legia, now second in the standings, no chance of overhauling them.
Substitute Leon Bailey could not have come closer to netting it. Through on goal with three minutes to play, he sent a lob over goalkeeper Kacper Tobiasz which hit the underside of the bar but refuse to cross the line.
The win was at least revenge of sorts for the 3-2 defeat Villa suffered in Poland on the competition’s opening night and they have now won four straight matches.
This match could hardly have begun better. Youri Tielemans played a ball down the line for Diaby and he cut with ease inside Artur Jedrzejczyk before curling a finish into the bottom corner from just inside the box.
When Jhon Duran, handed a first start since the beginning of October alongside the record signing in attack, was denied by goalkeeper Kacper Tobiasz, you wondered whether Villa might run away with it.
But just one mistake – and an admittedly superb finish – saw Legia suddenly back on level terms. Kamara sent his pass straight to Muci and the Albania international lofted his shot over a stranded Robin Olsen and into the top corner.
Early in the second half the visitors should have led. Gil Dias was found unmarked at the far post but opted to go with his head when the shot was an option, the ball hitting the top of the bar.
Villa had seen plenty of possession without carving out a chance. That changed when Matty Cash played in Diaby but after the forward had chopped inside one defender, Tobiasz proved equal to the shot.
There was little he could do about the goal which put Villa back in front. Just as in the Premier League match at Tottenham on Sunday, a set piece did the trick, Douglas Luiz sending a deep delivery to the far post and Moreno, adjusting late, angling a volley into the roof of the net from six yards out.
Villa thought they had a penalty when Duran was dragged down and the referee pointed to the spot, only for the celebration to be halted by a raised flag with Diaby having strayed offside.
Bailey then though he had got the group clinching goal, only to be denied by fractions.
Villa (4-4-2): Olsen, Cash, Konsa, Lenglet, Moreno (Digne 79), McGinn (Ramsey 71), Kamara, Luiz (Dendonckder 90), Tielemans (Bailey 71), Duran, Diaby (Zaniolo 79) Subs not used: Carlos, Digne, Torres, Chambers, Marschall (gk), Martinez (gk).
Legia (3-4-3): Tobiasz, Pankov, Jedrzejczyk, Kapuadi, Wszolek (Rosolek 76), Slisz (Celhaka 76), Elitim, Gil Dias (Kramer 55), Josue (Kapustka 76), Gual (Kun 55), Muci Subs not used: Burch, Ribeiro, Pekhart, Augustyniak, Rejczyk, Strzalek, Hladun (gk).
