🆘 | 10’ This pitch is an abomination, bouncing all over the place in front of the ‘keeper.
🆘 | 15’ The ball zips far too quickly across the surface making control impossible even for the home side who in these early stages are getting the benefit of the refereeing decisions as the Young Boys throw themselves to the ground more than Brighton under De Zerbi
🆘 | 17’ A shocking challenge from the Young Boy #7 attacker in the penalty area on Onana goes unchallenged.
💥 | 19’ Play restarts after Onana receives treatment
🆘 | 20’ Another shocking dive from a Young Boy sees a wide free kick awarded against Bogarde. The Bulgarian referee really needs to crack down here.
❗| 23’ Chance! Watkins chests down for the oncoming McGinn but his searing shot is off target.
⚽ | 27’ Goal, 1-0, Youri Tielemans, Assist by John McGinn, A brilliantly worked corner routine ends in a super strike from Tielemans
❗| 29’ Chance! Watkins breaks clear but the awful surface sees the ball bouncing uncontrollably and out of his reach to the great good fortune of Young Boys. How UEFA have deemed this pitch as acceptable is a mystery.
🆘 | 32’ A young boy holds back and interferes with Emiliano Martínez as he prepares to release the ball. No action from the referee.
🆘 | 33’ Finally a booking for Niasse from the Bulgarian official after yet another Young Boy foul
❗| 34’ Chance! Watkins pings the ball in before it ricochets around and cleared by a desperate hoof
❗| 35’ Chance! Rogers strides forwards with the goal gaping but elects to play Watkins in and it’s cleared.
❗| 36’ Chance! Jacob Ramsey curls one in but the ‘keeper gets down to save
🆘 | 38’ Another shocking tackle but Villa break form their own half before the ball is played out to Digne who’s cross in sees the Young Boy ‘keeper concede what surely must be a penalty before Jacob Ramsey hurdles his team mate and dinks it in.
⚽ | 38’ Goal, 2-0, Jacob Ramsey, Assist by Ollie Watkins
❗| 39’ Chance! Villa break down the right and more last ditch, and fortunate defending keeps Watkins at bay as the pitch continues to be the 12th man.
⚽ | 43’ Goal, 3-0, Ollie Watkins reacts quickest as his initial shot is blocked to hammer it past the ‘keeper
🎥 | 45’ Astonishingly the goal is disallowed after 2 minutes for hand ball, despite the ball clearly hitting Watkins’s chest. A truly shocking decision.
🆘 | 45’+2 another foul in the Villa penalty area is finally punished with a free kick. Young Boys have been hugely lucky with a benevolent referee, they could have seen a red card on 17’, they should have seen a red card on 38’ and they are gifted a scoreline reduction. Villa should be 3 up playing 9.
🕒 | 45’+4 HT Young Boys 0-2 Aston Villa
🔁 | 60’ Sub off, Lamare Bogarde, Sub on, Diego Carlos
🆘 | 46’ Cheikh Niasse is taken off before he’s sent off
🆘 | 46’ Another shocking tackle on Onana, another foot up, and finally a booking
🆘 | 47’ Another petulant tackle this time from the substitute on Jacob Ramsey
❗| 48’ Chance! Morgan Rogers breaks from midfield but shoots high and wide
❗| 51’ Chance! Villa playing some beautiful keep ball football before the final one two doesn’t quite come off
🆘 | 53’ The substitute Elia finally gets a yellow card after another studs up challenge from the Swiss
💥 | 56’ It’s all gone scrappy as Young Boys do an Everton and resort to hoofing it forward
❗| 57’ Chance! A lovely one two sees Digne clear in the box before a last ditch tackle prevents a strike on goal.
❗| 58’ Chance! Tielemans hits a speculative long one but it’s straight at the ‘keeper
🔁 | 60’ Sub off, Ollie Watkins, Sub on, Jhon Durán as Watkins is given a rest from his battering…. Durán is a very different temperament … this could see fireworks
🆘 | 61’ Play acting from Young Boys sees their #7 attacker belatedly fall to the ground clutching his face after a legitimate from Onana, fair play to the referee, he ignores it completely.
❗| 63’ Chance! John McGinn can’t get the ball from under his feet as he shapes to shoot before Jacob Ramsey forces a finger tip save from the ‘keeper
🆘 | 68’ Clear retribution from the #7 attacker who elbows Onana, reminder he could easily have been red carded in the first 17’
🆘 | 68’ A foul on Jacob Ramsey sees the defender intentionally tread on his foot
🆘 | 69’ Now John McGinn is sent flying and he can’t help but remonstrate with a referee who has allowed the game to descend like this
💥 | 70’ Superb reaction save from Emiliano Martínez after Ezri Konsa is sloppy in possession
💥 | 76’ Morgan Rogers rides four fouls before finally being brought down
⚽ | 77’ Goal, 3-0, Jhon Durán, Assist by Jacob Ramsey, Durán with a beautiful low curving shot from the edge of the penalty area
🟨 | 78’ Booking, Jhon Durán is booked for his celebration whilst Montero receives a caution for trying to start a ruckus
🎥 | 79’ Astonishingly yet again the goal is disallowed after 2 minutes for hand ball. Another truly shocking decision and both VAR and the Bulgarian referee had second looks before contriving to disallow it.
🆘 | 80’ The Young Boys centre forward falls in the area clearly trying to win a penalty off Carlos but the Brazilian is too cute for him
💥 | 83’ Brilliant defending from Ezri Konsa after his earlier error but he is brought down right in front of the referee as the attempts to start a counter attack and the referee ignores it.
❗| 83’ Chance! Morgan Rogers can’t get enough power into his shot and the ‘keeper saves
🆘 | 84’ Another Young Boys dive as Diego Carlos stands his ground and wins the ball before the player tries to con the referee
⚽ | 85’ Goal, 3-0, Amadou Onana, Assist by Youri Tielemans, Onana shouts for the ball and is teed up to perfection by Tielements before dispatching a low accurate strike beyond the ‘keeper. No way can that one be disallowed.
🔁 | 88’ Sub off, Jacob Ramsey, Sub on, Emiliano Buendía
🔁 | 88’ Sub off, Youri Tielemans, Sub on, Ian Maatsen
🔁 | 88’ Sub off, Lucas Digne, Sub on, Ross Barkley
❗| 90’ Chance! Buendía does brilliantly by the byeline to bring the ball into the area before Jhon Durán’s shot is blocked
💥 | 90’+3 John McGinn slices a clearance before bulldozing into the loose ball and winning his side a throw, brilliant defending tom the captain at the end of a long hard night.
❗| 90’+5 Still Villa come riding the tackles serving some shocking challenges and a poor set of officials to open their Champions League campaign with a resounding win.
🕒 | 90’+6 FT Young Boys 0-3 Aston Villa