After all the hubbub among the Aston Villa supporters who spent the day hugging Amsterdam’s canals and the pre-match fanfare in the way of pyrotechnics and flares, in the end the game itself proved a frustrating and largely forgettable stalemate. It was almost as if Villa were keeping their powder dry for their pursuit of a Champions League place. Villa, fourth in the Premier League, host fifth-placed Tottenham on Sunday with a golden opportunity to tighten their grip.
Ajax had the best chances to earn victory, Emiliano Martínez repelling an effort by Kenneth Taylor and Brian Bobbey earlier firing wide. Both teams finished with 10 men, with the otherwise excellent Ezri Konsa sent off on 83 minutes after picking up two yellow cards. Tristan Gooijer received his second caution three minutes later. Unai Emery grimaced as Konsa headed down the tunnel after tangling with the substitute Chuba Akpom and these sides will reunite at Villa Park next Thursday with this Europa Conference League last-16 tie delicately poised.
The excitement was palpable in Emery’s voice as, on the eve of this contest, the Villa manager told how this was his first visit to this arena, named after a pioneer of the game in Johan Cruyff. Everywhere you look this stadium is dripping in history, decorated by tributes to the greats who played for the 36-time Dutch champions: Van Basten, Bergkamp, Ibrahimovic, Suárez, Rijkaard. John van ‘t Schip, who took charge until the end of the season in October, helped them to the Uefa Cup in 1992. Banners proudly displaying their rich past, including four Champions League wins, the last of which was in 1995, hang from the roof’s skeletal structure.
At the same time Emery’s team selection – five changes from a late league win at Luton – was both indicative of the magnitude of Sunday’s game against Spurs and how, indeed, the mighty have fallen. This may be an iconic European venue but Villa have San Siro and the Bernabéu in mind next season. Ajax, captained by the England midfielder Jordan Henderson here, are fifth in Eredivisie, 27 points behind leaders and rivals PSV Eindhoven. Winger Morgan Rogers, a January signing from Middlesbrough, was quiet on his first Villa start and Tim Iroegbunam, the academy graduate midfielder, muted on his second. Matty Cash, one of the five Villa players to drop to the bench, entered at half-time in place of Pau Torres. Leon Bailey and John McGinn arrived soon after the hour tasked with sparking Villa into life. “Like Ajax, who have a lot of young players who they let play, play and play and get experiences, we have to do the same,” Emery said.
The problem with setting the bar so high, as Villa have done this season, is the average performances feel anaemic. Moussa Diaby’s fifth-minute effort straight at the Ajax goalkeeper Diant Ramaj represented Villa’s sole shot on target and their attacking players were well shackled by Ajax’s youthful three-man defence of Ahmetcan Kaplan, 21, Devyne Rensch, 21 and Jorrel Hato, 18. Still, the focus will quickly move to Tottenham’s visit and they will welcome the home advantage next week given their formidable record. “Now we need to finish it at Villa Park,” said the Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans. “We have it all to play for and for them it’s the same. We weren’t at our best tonight, that’s why I’m positive for the second leg.”
Villa appeared unusually limited and Diaby passed up their best chance, failing to work Ramaj after Villa seized on Sivert Mannsverk surrendering possession. Up the other end Brobbey, a hulking forward, rattled the side netting after Hato, the teenager who made his Netherlands debut last November, spied Villa’s high line and fed him down the left channel. Henderson, hopeful of being part of the England squad announced next week, sent a free-kick over the bar from 25 yards. But this was an evening when the best entertainment appeared off the pitch.
