Aston Villa 1 - 0 HSK Zrinjski
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa are continuing to bewilder their supporters by being outstanding in the league and underwhelming in cup competitions.
The Prince of Wales was in attendance and will have been one of those fans wondering how Emery’s team can wildly fluctuate in performance, until John McGinn’s late header spared a deeper inquest.
Sensational against Brighton last Saturday with that 6-1 demolition, Villa were poor in the home defeat by Everton in the Carabao Cup last week and here was another average display.
HSK Zrinjski frustrated their hosts for long periods until their resistance was finally broken when McGinn directed a header past Marko Maric four minutes into added time.
Emery has won four European trophies yet this competition is proving a difficult assignment as he rotates his squad.
These matches clearly underline Villa’s lack of strength in depth, for the fringe players given an opportunity here failed to grab their chances.
The one guarantee is that Emery’s team will be drastically different in Sunday’s derby at Wolves.
Emery said: “We have to try to get to our level playing with different players.
“Hopefully we can build a team with everyone and do something in this competition.
“It is the third time I have met the Prince and when he comes here we are very grateful.”
This was Villa’s first victory in a European group game since November 2008, when Martin O’Neill’s team defeated Slavia Prague in what was then the Uefa Cup.
After a surprise defeat in Warsaw last month, victory was required against the Bosnian champions, whose manager Krunoslav Rendulic described the contest as “the biggest game in the club’s history”.
Yet while Emery is an indisputed master in European competitions, he has made no secret of the fact that the Premier League is his priority this season.
With Manchester United and Chelsea struggling to spark their seasons into life, Emery has spotted an opportunity to secure a place in the top-five and guarantee Champions League football.
His team was far from full strength, with Ollie Watkins starting on the bench hours after being recalled to the England squad.
Nicolo Zaniolo produced Villa’s best chance of a dire first-half with a spectacular overhead kick which was pushed away by Marko Maric, the Zrinjski goalkeeper.
Emery had seen enough, making a triple substitution at half-time with Watkins, Douglas Luiz and Matty Cash all introduced.
The changes sparked an improvement and Villa were denied a 55th minute penalty, after Swiss referee Urs Schnyder reviewed an alleged handball by Matija Malekinusic on his monitor.
Frustration then began to build, but McGinn rewarded their relentless pressure to spark scenes of wild celebration.
Match details
Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez 6; Konsa 6, Carlos 5 (Traore 82), Lenglet 5, Digne 5 (Cash 46); Dendoncker 4 (Douglas Luiz 46), Tielemans 4; Bailey 5, McGinn 7, Zaniolo 5; Duran 5 (Watkins 46). Substitutes Olsen (g), Marschall (g), Torres, Chambers, O’Reilly. Booked: McGinn, Cash.
Zrinjski (4-2-3–1): Maric 7; Corluka 7, Jakovljevic 7, Senic 7, Ticinovic 6 (Memija 73); Canadija 7 (Zlomislic 73), Radic 6; Hrvanovic 5 (Malekinusic 46), Ivancic 6 (Kozulj 62) Cuze 6; Bilbija 6 (Kis 77). Substitutes Sefo (g), Nir On (g), Marin, Sablijc, Balic, Misic, Prskalo. Booked: Hrvanovic, Bilbija.
Referee: Urs Schnyder (Switzerland)
