- Buendia doubled the advantage with a brilliant curling effort that left Freiburg with an uphill task before the break
- The achievement contrasted sharply with their difficult start to the campaign
Aston Villa ended a 30-year wait for silverware in emphatic fashion on Wednesday, defeating Freiburg 3-0 to lift the Europa League title in Istanbul.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that goals from Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers powered Unai Emery’s men to victory, securing the club’s first trophy since winning the League Cup in 1996 and their first major European title since the 1982 European Cup triumph.
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Villa broke the deadlock late in the first half when Tielemans unleashed a stunning volley to put the Premier League side ahead.
Moments later, Buendia doubled the advantage with a brilliant curling effort that left Freiburg with an uphill task before the break.
Rogers sealed the victory in the second half, finishing off a cross from Buendia to cap a dominant display and spark celebrations among Villa supporters.
The triumph marked another milestone for manager Unai Emery, who extended his remarkable record in the Europa League with a fifth title. The Spaniard previously lifted the trophy three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal.
The victory also represented another chapter in Aston Villa’s revival under Emery, who took over in October 2022 when the club was struggling near the relegation zone.
Villa’s latest European success echoed their famous 1982 European Cup victory over Bayern Munich, with former heroes Peter Withe and Dennis Mortimer among those present in Istanbul to witness the achievement.
The club paid tribute to that historic night by wearing white shirts instead of their traditional claret and blue colours, mirroring the kit used during the Rotterdam triumph.
The success capped a remarkable end to the season for Villa, who had already secured qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League after defeating Liverpool last week.
The achievement contrasted sharply with their difficult start to the campaign, when they went six matches without a victory and scored only twice during that period.
Villa controlled much of the final from the outset and nearly took an early lead through Rogers before Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu made a save.
The breakthrough eventually came in the 41st minute from a well-worked corner routine. Rogers delivered a precise cross that found Tielemans, who struck a powerful volley past Atubolu.
Buendia then produced arguably the goal of the night, curling a superb strike into the far corner after finding space outside the box.
Rogers completed the scoring in the 58th minute, converting Buendia’s delivery to wrap up an unforgettable night for the Midlands club and their fans.
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