Softfootball understands that Aston Villa are officially through to the UEFA Europa League last 16 after a narrow 1–0 victory away to Fenerbahçe, a result that guarantees them a top-eight finish in the competition.
After the game, Aston Villa shared a post about the result via their official X account.
Following their recent 1-0 defeat to Everton and a 2-1 victory against Tottenham, Villa looked like a side trying to find its footing, and the crowd sensed it. Still, Unai Emery’s team didn’t panic. They slowed the game down, passed when needed, and gradually began to ask questions.
Ollie Watkins was central to that early threat. He nearly raced through on goal after Emiliano Buendía slipped him in with a clever ball, only for Milan Škriniar to rescue Fenerbahçe with a perfectly timed tackle.
Moments later, Watkins again went close, heading Youri Tielemans’ corner goalwards before Mert Müldür hacked it off the line.
The breakthrough came after 25 minutes, and it felt deserved. Matty Cash’s cross took a slight deflection and dropped invitingly for Jadon Sancho, who nodded home from close range. His first UEL goal of the season, and a massive one.
Fenerbahçe, led up front by former Villa man Jhon Durán, struggled to build rhythm. They were fortunate not to fall further behind when Buendía rounded the keeper but somehow saw his effort cleared off the line yet again by Škriniar.
Villa actually started the second half on the front foot. Tyrone Mings’ cross-shot almost found Watkins before the hosts responded by throwing Anderson Talisca into the mix. He immediately forced Marco Bizot into a sharp save.
Cash hit the post, Sancho had a goal ruled out after İsmail Yüksek bundled the ball into his own net, and then came late drama. Kerem Aktürkoğlu thought he’d equalised, but VAR ruled Durán offside in the build-up. Big let-off.
The final minutes were tense. Villa defended deep, bodies everywhere, and when the whistle finally came, it felt heavy. European football rewards resilience, and Villa had plenty of it.
