Aston Villa secured direct qualification for the Europa League’s round of sixteen with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Turkish giants Fenerbahce in Istanbul on Thursday. The decisive moment arrived in the first half when on-loan Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho powerfully headed home, marking his inaugural goal for the club and cementing Villa’s dominant European campaign under manager Unai Emery.
The English side demonstrated resilience throughout the match, with defender Matty Cash striking the post in the second period. Villa’s defense, however, faced intense pressure as Fenerbahce relentlessly pursued an equalizer, forcing goalkeeper Marco Bizot into a series of crucial saves to preserve the clean sheet and the vital three points.
In parallel action, the night proved disastrous for fellow English club Nottingham Forest. A ‘minute of madness’ during their encounter with Portugal’s Braga resulted in a costly 1-0 defeat. The pivotal sequence saw Morgan Gibbs-White’s penalty saved, immediately followed by a calamitous own goal from captain Ryan Yates. Their frustration culminated in a stoppage-time red card for Elliot Anderson, severely diminishing their chances of automatic qualification and consigning them to the precarious playoff round.
Scottish fortunes were mixed. Celtic squandered a two-goal advantage to draw 2-2 with Bologna, a result that leaves their qualification hopes dangling by a thread heading into the final matchday. Despite taking an early lead, the game turned on Reo Hatate’s 34th-minute dismissal, allowing the Italian side to mount a successful comeback. Meanwhile, rivals Rangers were eliminated from contention despite securing their first group stage win, a 1-0 result against Ludogorets.
Elsewhere, French club Lyon joined Villa in the last 16 with a 1-0 win over Young Boys, courtesy of a goal from Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Italian powerhouses Roma continued their impressive form with a fourth consecutive victory, defeating Stuttgart 2-0 to position themselves favorably for advancement.