Youri Tielemans’ composed second-half finish earned Aston Villa a valuable Europa League victory in Basel, keeping Unai Emery’s side firmly on course for automatic qualification to the last 16.
After Evann Guessand’s early opener was cancelled out before the break, Emery introduced Tielemans at half-time and was rewarded within eight minutes. The midfielder met a neat pass from Emiliano Buendía and side-footed calmly into the corner to restore Villa’s lead.
The win was Villa’s fifth in six Europa League matches and their 14th victory in 16 games across all competitions, lifting them to third in the table. Despite heavy rotation and the absence of Emiliano Martínez, Villa managed the game well after going ahead, with chances to extend the lead but little late pressure from Basel.
Emery praised his side’s consistency and warned there was no room to ease off, stressing the importance of maintaining momentum in a highly competitive Europa League campaign.
