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Game #4757
2002-03
Position:
3rd Round
Intertoto Cup 3rd Round
FC Zürich
Villa Park
Attendance: 18,349
Saturday, 27 July 2002
Villa overcome their first leg deficit to hammer Zürich at Villa Park and qualify for the Intertoto semi final.
Aston Villa
3-0
FC Zürich
Scorer(s) | Michael Boulding | 32’ | Marcus Allbäck | 49’ | Steve Staunton | 77’ |
Assist(s) | None
AT A GLANCE
Game #4757
Season | 2002-03 |
Matchday | #2 |
Manager Game | #15 |
Saturday, 27 July 2002
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager | Graham Taylor |
Referee | Roberto Rosetti, Italy |
HT Score | 1-0 |
FT Score | 3-0 |
Aggregate Score | 3-2 |
Aggregate Result | Won |
Last 5 Games | DWWLW |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Roberto Rosetti
MATCH INCIDENTS
Roberto Rosetti
Villa
🟨 |
FC Zürich
🟨 |
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
💥+ | Incidents e.g. penalty awarded
💥- | Incidents e.g. penalty conceded, goal disallowed
💥 | Incidents e.g. refused clear pen
🆘 | Notably poor refereeing performance
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 26.30 |
Oldest Player |
M Ian Taylor | 34.17 |
Youngest Player |
M Thomas Hitzlsperger | 20.32 |
TEAM NEWS
Lee Hendrie, Ian Taylor, Steve Staunton, Olof Mellberg and Marcus Allbäck replace Jlloyd Samuel, Dion Dublin, Alan Wright, George Boateng and Steve Stone.
UNAVAILABLE
Not reported
MATCH STATS
Not reported
MANAGER
Graham Taylor
STAFF
Assistant Manager: Stuart Gray
STARTING LINE UP
GK Peter Enckelman |
LB Steve Staunton |
CB Olof Mellberg |
FB Mark Delaney |
M Gareth Barry |
M Lee Hendrie |
M Thomas Hitzlsperger |
M Ian Taylor |
F Michael Boulding |
CF Peter Crouch |
F Marcus Allbäck |
SUBSTITUTES
M Paul Merson for F Michael Boulding | 46’ |
F Stefan Moore for F Marcus Allbäck | 71’ |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
CF Dion Dublin
M Mustapha Hadji
CB Liam Ridgewell
GK Stefan Postma
F Boško Balaban
THE OPPOSITION
Konig, Nef, Hellinga, Keller, Raimondi, Fischer, Tarek Chihab, Akale Kanga, Quentin, Iodice, Keit.
ex: Also played for the Villa
g: Scored
s/o: Sent off
s-: Sub off; s+: Sub on
ON THIS DAY
Villa overturn a two goal deficit to progress in the Intertoto Cup once again but that is where the good news ended. Villa Park had the first sighting of Michael Boulding, a player clearly unfit for even this reduced standard. Boulding appeared alongside Marcus Allbäck who although infinitely superior was also worryingly below the standard and pace in a relatively benign European tie. The worst was to come however when this proved to be the final game for Paul Merson, a player with ability and influence far beyond the rest of the squad, who even as a cameo substitute could deliver a power of good to the team, he was discarded.
Merson moved on to Portsmouth on a free transfer in August 2002 as Villa prematurely lost a player considered to be one of the most talented and charismatic to have pulled on the claret and blue was deemed surplus to requirements robbing the team of much needed creativity. Merson played for Villa between 1998-99 and 2002-03.
Meanwhile forward Stefan Moore made his competitive debut for Villa aged 18 after coming through the ranks of youth football alongside Swedish international forward Marcus Allbäck made a goalscoring Villa debut aged 29 after joining from SC Heerenveen for a fee of £2,700,000 earlier this month.
Forward Michael Boulding made the last of his 2 appearances for Villa. Boulding was a curiosity, an ex-tennis player who had played in the lower leagues brought to the club only weeks before and promoted to the first team immediately only to then be discarded just as quickly.
In sum then, this also ran Intertoto game, had implications far beyond the result on the pitch and signalled the huge challenges ahead for Villa.
Steve Staunton celebrates his winner against FC Zürich to secure Villa's place in the Intertoto semi final, Saturday, 27 July 2002.
Source: bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/2154265.stm
Source: bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/2154265.stm
MATCH TIMELINE
32’ Goal, 1-0, Michael Boulding
HT Aston Villa 1-0 FC Zürich
46’ Sub off, Michael Boulding, Sub on, M Paul Merson
49’ Goal, 2-0 Marcus Allbäck
71’ Sub off, Marcus Allbäck, Sub on Stefan Moore DEBUT
74’ Booking, Steve Staunton
77’ Goal, 3-0, Steve Staunton
FT Aston Villa 3-0 FC Zürich
MANAGER WATCH
POSITION
MATCH PROGRAMME
MATCH PROGRAMME
QUOTES
*BBC Sport*
Saturday, 27 July, 2002
"Aston Villa completed a superb comeback to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit against FC Zurich and book their place in the semi-finals of the Intertoto Cup."
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*Villa revive Euro dream*
Aston Villa completed a superb comeback to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit against FC Zurich and book their place in the semi-finals of the Intertoto Cup.
New signing Michael Boulding made the breakthrough on 32 minutes, with Swedish World Cup striker Marcus Allback crowning his debut with the goal that levelled the aggregate scores.
But it was old campaigner Steve Staunton who notched Villa’s third on 77 minutes to send Graham Taylor’s side through.
Taylor gave Allback his debut as he rang the changes from the side beaten 2-0 in the first leg.
Left out were Dion Dublin, Alan Wright and Steve Stone, while George Boateng, linked with a move to Middlesbrough, was not even included on the substitutes’ bench.
In came Olof Mellberg, Steve Staunton, Ian Taylor and Lee Hendrie for his first start since Taylor’s first match as manager in February.
Zurich were without Ursal Yasar, scorer of the second goal in the first leg, through suspension after his red card late in the game.
Villa’s first chance fell to Boulding, signed from Grimsby, who lofted his shot over the bar after being played through by Allback.
The big Swede then forced Miroslav Konig to tip over a looping header, while Peter Crouch then sent a header straight at the Slovakian international keeper.
With the cushion of a 2-0 lead, Zurich were content to sit back and hit Villa on the break.
The Swiss side looked desperate at times at the back.
But it was Mellberg who was left breathing a sigh of relief when he brought Alhassane Keitas down on the edge of the penalty area and saw Luca Iodice fire the free-kick over.
Villa got the breakthrough they needed on 32 minutes when Boulding cut the deficit in half.
The former tennis professional earned a free-kick when he was brought down by Alain Nef, and when Gareth Barry’s attempt was nodded across goal by Peter Crouch, Boulding forced the ball home.
Villa keeper Peter Enckelman was forced to make a good save from Raimondi, but it was generally one-way traffic.
Paul Merson was introduced as a half-time substitute and made an impact within four minutes, setting up Villa’s second goal.
He sent a delightful chip into the patch of Allback who volleyed his first goal for Villa to level the scores on aggregate.
Allback showed good skills to work himself a shooting space, only to lob gently into Konig’s hand while at the other end, Enkelman easily collected a shot from Chihab on a rare Zurich raid.
Villa completed their comeback when Staunton headed in Hitzlsperger’s cross to make it 3-0 on the day, and 3-2 on aggregate.
*Villa revive Euro dream*
Aston Villa completed a superb comeback to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit against FC Zurich and book their place in the semi-finals of the Intertoto Cup.
New signing Michael Boulding made the breakthrough on 32 minutes, with Swedish World Cup striker Marcus Allback crowning his debut with the goal that levelled the aggregate scores.
But it was old campaigner Steve Staunton who notched Villa’s third on 77 minutes to send Graham Taylor’s side through.
Taylor gave Allback his debut as he rang the changes from the side beaten 2-0 in the first leg.
Left out were Dion Dublin, Alan Wright and Steve Stone, while George Boateng, linked with a move to Middlesbrough, was not even included on the substitutes’ bench.
In came Olof Mellberg, Steve Staunton, Ian Taylor and Lee Hendrie for his first start since Taylor’s first match as manager in February.
Zurich were without Ursal Yasar, scorer of the second goal in the first leg, through suspension after his red card late in the game.
Villa’s first chance fell to Boulding, signed from Grimsby, who lofted his shot over the bar after being played through by Allback.
The big Swede then forced Miroslav Konig to tip over a looping header, while Peter Crouch then sent a header straight at the Slovakian international keeper.
With the cushion of a 2-0 lead, Zurich were content to sit back and hit Villa on the break.
The Swiss side looked desperate at times at the back.
But it was Mellberg who was left breathing a sigh of relief when he brought Alhassane Keitas down on the edge of the penalty area and saw Luca Iodice fire the free-kick over.
Villa got the breakthrough they needed on 32 minutes when Boulding cut the deficit in half.
The former tennis professional earned a free-kick when he was brought down by Alain Nef, and when Gareth Barry’s attempt was nodded across goal by Peter Crouch, Boulding forced the ball home.
Villa keeper Peter Enckelman was forced to make a good save from Raimondi, but it was generally one-way traffic.
Paul Merson was introduced as a half-time substitute and made an impact within four minutes, setting up Villa’s second goal.
He sent a delightful chip into the patch of Allback who volleyed his first goal for Villa to level the scores on aggregate.
Allback showed good skills to work himself a shooting space, only to lob gently into Konig’s hand while at the other end, Enkelman easily collected a shot from Chihab on a rare Zurich raid.
Villa completed their comeback when Staunton headed in Hitzlsperger’s cross to make it 3-0 on the day, and 3-2 on aggregate.