Aston Villa’s European hopes took an unexpected hit as Dutch underdogs Go Ahead Eagles pulled off a stunning 2-1 victory in Deventer. Below you will see inormation about this news, which has been summarized The Football Insight.
Unai Emery’s side, who had been flying high with five consecutive wins, took an early lead through Evann Guessand but failed to kill the game off. What followed was a remarkable turnaround that will go down as one of the greatest nights in the Eagles’ history.
The visitors looked dominant early on, silencing the raucous home crowd of just 10,000. Buendía and Sancho combined beautifully down the left before the latter’s cross fell to Guessand, who calmly slotted home his first goal since joining Villa from Nice for £25 million. It seemed like Villa were set for another routine European win.
But the Premier League side’s wastefulness came back to haunt them. Ollie Watkins missed a golden chance, while Sancho and Guessand were denied by the inspired Jari De Busser in goal. Despite total control, Villa’s failure to finish was punished right before halftime when Mathis Suray’s deflected shot looped past Emiliano Martínez to make it 1-1.
The Second-Half Shock
The momentum completely shifted after the break. With confidence flowing through the home side, captain Mats Deijl completed the turnaround in the 60th minute. Controlling a cross from Joris Kramer with his chest, Deijl calmly poked the ball past Martínez to send the small De Adelaarshorst Stadium into absolute chaos.
Emery threw on reinforcements John McGinn, Donyell Malen, and Morgan Rogers in a desperate bid to salvage the game. Rogers nearly found the equalizer, smashing a cross-shot off the post, but Villa’s luck had clearly run out. When Dean James handled the ball in the box, a lifeline appeared in the 77th minute.
However, under swirling wind and rain, Emiliano Buendía blasted his penalty high over the bar, sealing Villa’s fate. It was the club’s sixth missed spot-kick in the past year a trend Emery later admitted must change.
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Emery Left Frustrated by Familiar Failings
After the final whistle, Unai Emery struggled to hide his disappointment. “We must be more clinical,” he said. “Buendía was the taker tonight, and normally he’s reliable, but sometimes these things happen. Still, we must improve.” His frustration was justified missed chances and poor finishing have cost Villa before, and once again, they proved costly.
Emery named Buendía, Sancho, McGinn, and Rogers among his trusted penalty takers, but none have shown consistent success. Earlier this season, Ollie Watkins also missed from the spot against Bologna, and Villa were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brentford in a shootout. For a side with European ambitions, such lapses in key moments could prove decisive.
Despite the loss, Villa remain favorites to progress from the group, but this defeat was a reminder that no opponent in Europe can be underestimated. The timing is far from ideal, with an in-form Manchester City awaiting them on Sunday.
A Historic Triumph for the Eagles
For Go Ahead Eagles, the night was nothing short of magical. Having only returned to the Dutch top flight in 2021 and qualified for Europe by winning the KNVB Cup, the victory over Aston Villa marks their biggest achievement yet. Players, staff, and fans erupted in celebration as fireworks lit up the Deventer sky after the final whistle.
Captain Mats Deijl, the match-winner, could hardly believe it. “I don’t think anyone expected us to win like this,” he said. “This might be the biggest moment in our club’s history. For Villa, it was a painful lesson in humility. For the Eagles, it was proof that passion, belief, and fearless football can conquer even the mightiest opposition. On a cold night in Deventer, the underdogs soared higher than ever before. Follow footballcoasters.co.uk for weekly deep dives into football’s biggest stories.