RB Leipzig 2-3 Aston Villa: Ross Barkley proves the distinction in guests’ helter-skelter Champions League win

Typically all you want is a little bit of luck. With time ticking away, Unai Emery was raging as Aston Villa appeared like throwing away two factors because of dreadfully slack defending.

Then moments after changing Youri Tielemans, Ross Barkley’s shot from vary deflected off RB Leipzig substitute Lukas Klostermann and Villa had the win that pushes them nearer to an automated place within the Champions League final 16.

But earlier than that, Villa had been the authors of their very own downfall – not for the primary time, both.

First it was Tyrone Mings selecting up the ball inside his personal penalty space towards Membership Brugge and permitting the Belgians to attain the one aim of the sport.

And now in Leipzig, two moments of dire work on the again practically stopped Villa taking three factors from a recreation they managed nearly from begin to end.

Regardless of targets in both half from John McGinn and substitute Jhon Duran – a superb strike from distance – Villa virtually needed to accept a draw as their sloppiness allowed Lois Openda and Christoph Baumgartner to equalise twice and earn Leipzig their first level of this marketing campaign.

It might have been even worse for Villa. Within the closing minutes, Pau Torres gave the ball straight to Openda just for the Leipzig ahead to shoot too near Emi Martinez. However then got here Barkley’s strike to earn Villa their straight victory.

After a sequence of eight matches and not using a win, Villa bounced again with residence victories over Brentford and Southampton to carry themselves again into rivalry for a top-four end.

This was, nonetheless, at all times prone to be a sterner take a look at. Emery opted for a three-man defence to shackle Leipzig’s harmful forwards Openda and Benjamin Sesko, with Matty Money and Lucas Digne working as wing-backs.

There was no place within the line-up for Duran, although he scored the one aim towards Southampton. Ollie Watkins was restored within the No9 place with McGinn and Morgan Rogers working simply behind him.

It took lower than three minutes for Villa’s new plan to repay. Providing additional width on the fitting, Money’s cross discovered Watkins on the far put up. McGinn managed to outmuscle Nicolas Seiwald to latch on the knockdown and information residence from eight yards.

Leipzig knew they wanted to win this to maintain their hopes alive of reaching the knockout levels, although you wouldn’t have recognized it as Villa took management. Had Watkins managed to attach with Digne’s low ball, it might have been two. Then Rogers shot too near Peter Gulacsi from 20 yards and Youri Tielemans fired huge from an identical distance following a wonderful transfer involving McGinn, Digne and Watkins.

Leipzig had been flat and uninspired – which made it all of the extra irritating for Emery that his facet went in degree at half-time. It was a easy ball excessive from Seiwald that – by some means – neither Ezri Konsa nor Diego Carlos nor Emi Martinez managed to chop out. In raced Openda to the touch the ball previous Martinez and slide within the equaliser.

Villa didn’t lose their cool and created two extra alternatives earlier than the interval. Antonio Nusa discovered his ft in a tangle as he tried to intercept Rogers’ go, permitting Money a transparent run on aim. His low shot was blocked by Gulacsi and the Leipzig goalkeeper did his job once more with moments left of the half, denying Watkins from a good angle after Tielemans had set him free.

There was a direct setback for Villa firstly of the second half. Watkins had been spectacular earlier than the break however appeared to have picked up an damage and didn’t return. That gave Duran his likelihood and the Colombian may need scored immediately had he proven a little bit extra composure from 20 yards.

Villa had been discovering area in that space recurrently however did not make it rely. Boubacar Kamara was the subsequent to strive with a low effort that didn’t hassle Gulacsi. No surprise Emery put his head in his fingers.

Fortunately for the Villa boss, he has a participant able to the sudden.

Duran collected a go from Tielemans, drove away from Arthur Vermeeren and inside Willi Orban earlier than despatching it over Gulacsi from 25 yards. Maybe Gulacsi’s positioning ought to have been higher but it surely was nonetheless a superb piece of opportunism.

By now Villa had been trying harmful each time they broke. Rogers was the most recent to overlook from the sting of the field and Duran thought he had his second simply earlier than the hour mark when he transformed Money’s low cross just for VAR to rule the aim out for offside.

How Villa would curse that decision. One other lengthy ball, this time from Benjamin Henrichs, discovered the again line hesitating and allowed Openda to scurry into area. This time the Belgian crossed and Baumgartner produced a superb volley throughout Martinez to degree the match once more.

On the different finish, Rogers and McGinn opened up the house defence once more, forcing Gulacsi to make one other good cease, this time from Digne. Then Openda ought to have punished Torres’ dreadful error however fired straight at Martinez. Moments later, Barkley took purpose from 25 yards and the ricochet off Klostermann left Gulacsi helpless