Aston Villa seal place in Europa League last 16 as Nottingham Forest beaten
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Aston Villa's Jadon Sancho celebrates with teammates after scoring the winning goal.
PHOTO: AFP
- Aston Villa beat Fenerbahce 1-0 with Jadon Sancho's header, securing their place in the Europa League last 16, despite a disallowed Fenerbahce goal.
- SC Freiburg and Lyon also booked their spots in the last 16 with 1-0 wins against Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Young Boys respectively.
- Celtic drew 2-2 with Bologna after Hatate's red card. Other results include: Brann 3-3 Midtjylland; PAOK 2-0 Real Betis (Reuters).
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ISTANBUL – Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is “dreaming” of winning the Europa League, after his team secured their place in the last 16 of the competition on Jan 22 with a 1-0 win at Fenerbahce.
Fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest, however, slid to a costly defeat away by Braga.
“(We want) to be a contender in case we need this trophy to play in the Champions League. Through our league (it) is very difficult,” said Emery, whose side are third in the Premier League.
“I am dreaming to be here getting trophies and the Europa is one objective we have this year.”
Jadon Sancho’s header midway through the first half in Istanbul earned Villa a sixth victory in seven European games, clinching a spot in the top eight and allowing Emery’s team to bypass the play-offs.
Matty Cash struck the post in the second half and Villa held on as goalkeeper Marco Bizot produced a string of key saves with the Turkish side pushing for an equaliser.
“I’m just happy to get my first goal for Aston Villa and to top it off with that, it’s a win,” Sancho, who joined on loan from Manchester United in September, told TNT Sports.
“Honestly, I know I can do a lot more. I’m very hard on myself in that aspect.
“It’s nice to have a manager that backs you and obviously believes in you. Again, every opportunity I get I’m going to try and do 100 per cent and hopefully I can deliver goals more.”
Villa are second in the standings on 18 points and trail only Lyon on goal difference.
Forest, meanwhile, face the prospect of going into the play-offs after a limp display in a 1-0 loss to Braga, who climbed to fifth.
Morgan Gibbs-White had a penalty saved early in the second half and Braga went straight down the other end and scored, as Forest captain Ryan Yates bundled into his own net.
Forest’s woes were compounded when Elliot Anderson was sent off for dissent in stoppage time.
“Very frustrating. One minute of madness. A game we never looked in trouble,” Forest boss Sean Dyche told TNT Sports, with Braga not even managing a single shot on target.
“You might come away with a draw, but you shouldn’t really lose that game. I don’t think they hardly had a real chance, then we had a goalmouth scramble and even that can’t go in.”
Celtic blew a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Bologna and leave their qualification hopes hinging on next week’s final round of games, as arch-rivals Rangers bowed out despite a first win in the competition.
Celtic sit 24th in the 36-team table, occupying the final play-off berth. The Scottish champions host winless Utrecht in their final game on Jan 29.
“We’ve given ourselves a chance – that’s all, a chance – of qualifying. And from that viewpoint, I’m delighted,” said manager Martin O’Neill, whose side had Reo Hatate sent off after just 34 minutes.
“My own view is that if we had stayed with 11 men, I think we would have won the game.”
Rangers were eliminated despite their 1-0 victory over Ludogorets at Ibrox, where Mohamed Diomande grabbed the only goal. AFP
