Roger Federer, an ardent Basel supporter, was up in the stands, in the posh seats to be precise, but even from there he could surely appreciate the grace with which Youri Tielemans clinched victory for Aston Villa.
Unai Emery turned to Tielemans at half-time to lift his side and the midfielder delivered within eight minutes, his classy first-time finish regaining Villa the lead, after Evann Guessand’s early strike was cancelled out. This represented a 14th victory in their past 16 matches and it felt a significant one, too, given the pileup at the top of the league table amid the fight to advance automatically to the round of 16 in March.
“We know it will be challenging but we also know that any opponent is beatable in Basel,” Xherdan Shaqiri had said on the eve of this fixture and the former Liverpool and Stoke forward knows what he is talking about, returning last year to the club he first joined aged eight.
Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United have all departed this stadium empty-handed across the past 15 years and on touchdown in Basel, Emery was quick to acknowledge that the Swiss side’s recent form also commanded respect. Basel had won their previous seven home matches in this competition, including both this season. Villa, of course, know all about the power of home form having lost just twice at Villa Park since August 2024.
Emery also recognises there is a delicate balance to strike between this competition and the Premier League, which he explicitly and understandably maintains is the priority. So the Villa manager made eight changes from their stoppage-time victory over Arsenal, with Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa and Amadou Onana the trio to retain their starting berths. Emiliano Martínez and Pau Torres, who was forced off through injury last weekend, were absent altogether.
Rotation equals opportunity, with Victor Lindelöf and Jadon Sancho promoted to the starting lineup. Guessand seized his chance, earning Villa the lead on 12 minutes in scruffy circumstances. Marwin Hitz, the Basel goalkeeper, punched away a Villa corner but Shaqiri’s clearance cannoned off the calf of an unknowing Philip Otele and Guessand showed awareness to locate the bottom corner to score his second Villa goal, both coming in this competition.
Basel took confidence from a couple of tame early efforts and thought they had equalised courtesy of a crisp Leo Leroy finish approaching the half-hour, but Dominik Schmid was ruled offside following a review by the video assistant referee.
Federer had to sympathise with a tight call, commonplace in his previous life. Six minutes later, Shaqiri floated an inviting free-kick into the box after Konsa was penalised for tripping the 34-year-old and Flavius Daniliuc gambled. So did Marco Bizot, the Villa keeper deputising for Martínez, rushing from his goal towards the penalty spot, where Daniliuc flicked the ball into the net. Emery winced on the touchline. Basel’s Muttenzerkurve, home to their ultras, turned up the volume.
Villa underwhelmed in the first half and Emery acknowledged as much, introducing one of his most trusted players in Tielemans at the break. Tielemans replaced Cash and moved things around, with Lamare Bogarde, who at times was overpowered in midfield, shifted to right-back. Emery has masterminded Villa’s turnaround from relegation strugglers to European regulars and perhaps he also has psychic powers. At this point, Villa supporters probably believe he is capable of anything.
Just as it seemed Villa were huffing and puffing, Bogarde, now at right-back, threaded a pass into Emiliano Buendía, who cleverly held off his marker, waited for the opportune moment and then rolled a pass into the path of an advancing Tielemans on the edge of the box. The Belgian, on the move, connected beautifully, coolly side-footing a shot low into the bottom corner past a hapless Hitz before hurtling towards the pocket of Villa fans to celebrate. Villa should have extended their advantage five minutes later – or at least tested Hitz – when Sancho picked out Guessand on the edge of the six-yard box but the winger blazed over.
Emery called for the cavalry soon afterwards, Boubacar Kamara, Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins entering from the bench midway through the second half. Tielemans survived a penalty appeal against him after tackling Albian Ajeti inside the box, with Leroy booked for his protests. Watkins later overcooked a pass for Donyell Malen in a rare second-half opening but Villa held on to make it five wins from six in Europe and enhance their chances of reaching the knockout stages.