Aston Villa pay perfect Gary Shaw tribute with dream Champions League return

All it needed to mark Gary Shaw’s passing was a goal by someone with blond hair.

Otherwise the imagery was plain for all to see as Unai Emery announced Aston Villa’s re-birth in European football’s premier competition by serving up the perfect tribute. The opening strike was from Youri Tielemans - the Belgian international is now wearing the No.8 shirt that the former European Cup winner graced.

The second was from local boy Jacob Ramsey. A VAR call for handball wiped out a strike from Jhon Duran.

Of course, it might have been stretching a point to suggest that Brummie 80s’ heartthrobs Duran Duran could enter this comparison - but not by much.

Amadou Onana wrapped up matters with a thunderous 25-yard effort that does appear outside of it. But the net result was the same. Three hit Young Boys’ net - and they were fortunate it wasn’t more.

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If Villa boss Unai Emery wanted to produce a performance that was worthy of Shaw, then he certainly ticked that box.

With emotions still raw at the club - and certainly among the 1,600 supporters who made the trip from the west Midlands who sang Shaw’s name from before the start to the finish - this was a comprehensive show.

It did more than hint that Villa have the ammunition to complete the primary objective and move to the knockout stages. Bigger hurdles await, of course, Bayern Munich lie in wait in the next instalment of the club’s debut season in this competition.

But on this evidence, the Bavarian giants won’t be taking them lightly.

Bizarrely, the artificial pitch at the Wankdorf Stadium had been watered for 45 minutes prior to kick-off. Players from both sides were slipping and sliding. It took Villa until the second quarter of the game to find their feet.

A well-worked corner routine got them up and running. A short corner was played to John McGinn who sent a deep cross beyond the far post, just inside the area.

Tielemans had peeled away and controlled before firing through a cluster of yellow-shirted bodies and beyond keeper David von Ballmoos. Villa made it two before the interval. Morgan Rogers, not for the first time, caused panic but Mohamed Ali Camara appeared to have the situation under control.

However, he dithered in passing the ball back to Van Ballmoos. Watkins guessed correctly what the home defender was going to do and he came on the blindside of the Young Boys keeper.

Van Ballmoos went to clear but Villa’s forward got their first and took a whack for his troubles. The ball, however, ran loose and Ramsey gratefully collected and slipped into the net.

It would have been a penalty but Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabakov correctly allowed play to continue.

While that was the correct outcome, it was difficult to say likewise about another strike that hit the net just before the interval, Watkins slotted home at the second attempt. VAR adjudged that his arm had played a part in the build-up.

It was similar in the second half when Duran thought he had swept home Lucas Digne’s ball from the edge of the area. The match official pulled up Onana for a handball on the halfway line.

Villa were unhappy. But made it count the next time they went forward. Onana belted one in from 25 yards to round off the scoring on a night that Villa fan Shaw would no doubt have enjoyed as much as the travelling support.

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