Go Ahead Eagles claimed the biggest scalp in their European history as they came from behind to beat Aston Villa 2-1.
Evann Guessand opened the scoring early in the first half for Villa, but Mathis Suray equalised just before the break to send the sides into half-time level.
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Mats Deijl later put the Dutch side ahead in the second half, sealing a famous victory and all three points at De Adelaarshorst.
As it happened
Unai Emery’s side went into tonight’s fixture on the back of five successive wins in all competitions and a perfect record in Europe. After a shaky start to the campaign, Villa looked to have finally found their rhythm.
In contrast, Go Ahead Eagles sat 11th in the Eredivisie after a mixed start to their season, though they entered this game on a high following a remarkable comeback win over Panathinaikos in their previous Europa League outing.
The match appeared to be following the expected script early on when summer signing Guessand put Villa ahead in the fourth minute with a smart header. It seemed as though Emery’s men were set to continue their impressive European form.
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However, Go Ahead Eagles had other ideas. The hosts responded strongly, creating several promising chances against Emiliano Martínez before finally finding their equaliser.
Just before the break, Suray’s deflected effort nestled past Martínez to bring the Dutch side level – a reward for their persistence.
Villa, who had started confidently, began to lose their composure and creativity as the second half wore on. The gap in quality that had been evident early in the game had vanished, and the Eagles soon seized control.
Their dominance paid off just before the hour mark when striker Deijl lifted the ball over Martínez to complete a stunning turnaround.
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The De Adelaarshorst erupted once more late on when in-form Emiliano Buendía sent his penalty over the bar, sealing a famous victory for the hosts.
For Go Ahead Eagles, this win was monumental. Having only qualified for this season’s Europa League by winning the Dutch Cup – their first major honour in 92 years – tonight’s triumph will go down as one of the greatest nights in the club’s history.
For Aston Villa and Unai Emery, it was a sobering reminder that in Europe, nothing is guaranteed. Despite being considered one of the tournament favourites, Villa learned the hard way that in continental football, no opponent can be underestimated.
The Line-Ups
GAE: De Busser; Deijl, Nauber, Kramer, James; Meulensteen, Salah Rahmouni; Margaret, Breum, Suray, Smit
