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O’Neill’s gamble fails to pay off as Villa are sent packing from Russia by Love

Much to his bemusement, Martin O’Neill was told by a Russian journalist that he bore a striking resemblance to Harry Potter beforehand, but the Aston Villa manager would have needed the young ­wizard’s magic rather than his looks to avoid European elimination here. The margin of victory may have been slender but CSKA ­Moscow’s passage into the last 16 never looked in doubt against a spirited but ­woefully under-strength Villa side.

Villa needed to score to have any chance of going through and that was unlikely to happen from the moment that O’Neill decided to prioritise qualification for the Champions League. Whether that decision was correct remains to be seen but after 12 European matches, spanning eight months, this felt like an unsatisfactory way to bow out of the Uefa Cup. Goals from Yury Zhirkov and Vagner Love merely confirmed the inevitable.

While the 250 Villa supporters here expected a weakened line-up, few could have anticipated O’Neill would name a starting XI that included Barry Bannan and Marc Albrighton, two teenagers ­making their full debuts. Their presence, allied to the surprise absences of John Carew (not risked because of the hard surface) and Marlon Harewood (embarrassingly overlooked), left Villa both callow and fragile.

Indeed, with Emile Heskey, Gabriel Agbonlahor, James Milner, Gareth Barry, Stilian Petrov, Ashley Young, Carlos ­Cuellar and Brad Friedel all left at home, there were not even enough players to fill the bench. Villa, in short, looked there for the ­taking on a night with CSKA at full strength and always more likely to be comfortable with the ­artificial pitch and plummeting temperatures that had fallen to -10C by half-time in Moscow.

That was the theory, at least. But Villa, through a combination of their defensive discipline and CSKA’s lack of urgency, were level at the interval and proving obdurate opponents. When Brad Guzan gathered Milos Krasic’s raking 20-yard drive in the 40th minute it was the first time the Villa goalkeeper had made a save.

The Russian side were not without their opportunities but there was little ­evidence of the approach that had seen Villa punished so ruthlessly in the first leg. Vasily Berezutski twice headed over, Alan Dzagoev curled a free-kick narrowly wide and Vagner Love swept past the far post on the stroke of half-time, but Villa were hardly a team under siege.

It helped that Villa’s defence was the one department of the side replete with experience. Elsewhere they made little ­impression as Moustapha Salifou, Steve Sidwell and Craig Gardner toiled in ­midfield without reward. The same was true of the isolated Nathan Delfouneso who had Villa’s only real chance of the opening 45 minutes when his volley was comfortably saved by Igor Akinfeev.

CSKA had more purpose after the restart, yet profligacy continued to afflict Zico’s side. Once again Villa’s right-side was exposed when Zhirkov rampaged clear on the left but the midfielder should not have allowed Guzan to save at his feet.

Zhirkov did not make the same mistake just after the hour mark. From a well-worked free-kick that looked like it had come straight from the training ground, Dzagoev cut the ball back into the path of Zhirkov whose 20-yard left-footed drive flew inside Guzan’s near post. Then, as Villa poured forward, CSKA added a second in injury-time when Vagner Love scored his 10th Uefa Cup goal of the season.

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*Villa crash out of Europe*

Aston Villa’s Uefa Cup hopes were ended as they lost 2-0 to 2005 winners CSKA Moscow in Russia.

Villa boss Martin O’Neill fielded a greatly weakened side which succumbed to second-half goals from Yuri Zhirkov and Vagner Love as CSKA completed a 3-1 aggregate success.

Zhirkov scored following a free-kick awarded for a debatable foul by Curtis Davies and Villa, showing eight changes from the team that lost to Chelsea last weekend, then conceded a second in stoppage time to leading scorer Love.

O’Neill gave full debuts to teenage midfielders Barry Bannan and Marc Albrighton and Villa held their own for an hour.

*Deadlock*

But once Zhirkov broke the deadlock the outcome was never in doubt as Zico’s side booked a last-16 clash against either Tottenham or Shakhtar Donetsk.

O’Neill left Gareth Barry, Brad Friedel, Emile Heskey, James Milner, Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Carlos Cuellar and Stiliyan Petrov back at home as he looked to protect Villa’s top-four prospects in the Premier League.

And Villa were unable to fill their bench when John Carew pulled out with a back problem.

The visitors were also faced with a plastic pitch and sub-zero conditions at the Luzhniki Stadium as the odds against then stacked up.

But Villa’s second string side put up a decent fight without ever really threatening to land a killer blow as they found decent chances hard to create until a late flurry when Zat Knight and Nathan Delfouneso had sights of goal.

*Experience*

With experience in defence in the shape of stand-in captain Luke Young, Knight, Davies and Nicky Shorey Villa kept CSKA at bay with some comfort in the first half.

O’Neill then threw on Marlon Harewood as a second striker at the start of the second half to try and force the away goal Villa needed.

But with extra space to play in midfield, Zico’s CSKA side finally took control and after being denied once by Bradley Guzan, Zhirkov broke the deadlock.

A Davies tackle on Milos Krasic on the right-hand corner of the area resulted in German referee Felix Brych harshly punishing the centre-back.

That allowed Dzagoev to tee up Zhirkov for a thunderous drive from the edge of the area that flew through a crowd of players and inside Guzan’s left-hand post.

Other opportunities followed with Guzan twice denying Zhirkov again, before

CSKA gained their reward with virtually the last kick of the game via Love’s 10th goal of the competition and 26th in 42 European games overall.

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*BBC Sport*
Thursday, 26 February 2009

A weakened Aston Villa side were dumped out of the Uefa Cup after being beaten away to CSKA Moscow in the second leg of their last-32 tie.

Villa were missing eight first-team regulars and managed to get to half-time all square.

But Yuri Zhirkov drove in a shot from the edge of the area to put CSKA ahead.

Villa searched for an equaliser but were caught out when Vagner Love fired home during injury-time to secure CSKA Moscow’s win 3-1 on aggregate.
The visitors’ exit came as little surprise considering Gareth Barry, Brad Friedel, Emile Heskey, James Milner, Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Carlos Cuellar and Stiliyan Petrov had not travelled to Moscow.

Manager Martin O’Neill has put finishing in the top four of the Premier League and achieving a Champions League spot ahead of trying to win the Uefa Cup.

Nevertheless, Villa’s second string limited the Russian side to just fleeting chances in the initial stages.

Vasily Berezutskiy went close for the hosts when he powered a header just high, before Alan Dazgoev curled a 25-yard right-foot free-kick narrowly wide.

In sub-zero temperatures on the plastic pitch at the Luzhniki Stadium, Villa held their own without threatening a goal.

CSKA eventually took advantage of a makeshift Villa side when Dzagoev teed up Zhirkov to score with a thunderous drive, giving keeper Brad Guzan little chance after coming through a crowd of players.

A Villa goal would have levelled the tie, but that was unlikely as they rarely managed to produce a period of pressure.

Instead, CSKA added their second when Love pounced in the third minute of injury-time.