Europa League: Aston Villa defeats Feyenoord away, Sancho becomes a marginalist

Aston Villa showed strong competitiveness by defeating Feyenoord 2-0 away in the Europa League group stage. In this game, Villa returned to the UEFA Champions League de Quip Stadium, which won the UEFA Champions League in 1982, continuing their perfect start in the UEFA Europa League group stage with a convincing victory.

However, the highly-watched Jayden Sancho failed to make the appearance. According to official explanation, he was absent from the game due to physical discomfort. This is his second consecutive game because of "illness". Previously, Sancho also sat on the bench in the Premier League match where Villa defeated Fulham 3-1. Since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United this summer, the 2000-born midfielder has not scored or assisted yet. He has only started once and has gradually become a marginal figure in the team.

In this game, Villa, led by coach Emery, faced a lot of pressure against Feyenoord, coached by Van Persie, away. The home team had a fierce offensive after the opening game. Stein and Haji Mousa threatened Villa's goal many times, while Kise Ueda's goal was banned because of offside. For Villa, Watkins had a one-on-one chance, but the shot was cleared by the goal line. In the first half, the two sides exchanged blank sheets.

The change of sides and the fight was fought again, Feyenoord continued to lead the attack, but Villa's counterattack efficiency was better. In the 61st minute, Kamala made a wonderful pass, and Argentine midfielder Emiliano Buendia scored a wonderful long shot to break the deadlock. In the 79th minute, McGinn calmly handled the game in the penalty area, pushed the ball and scored, locking the score at 2-0, completely ending the suspense of the game.

This victory not only helped Villa to wipe out the previous league downturn, but also highlighted Emery's advantage in European experience. In contrast, Van Persie's team seemed immature. After two consecutive losses, Feyenoord will face huge challenges in order to advance to the main game.