EMI BUENDIA AND John McGinn struck second-half goals as Aston Villa beat Feyenoord in Rotterdam to make it back-to-back Europa League wins.
Villa, who beat Bologna 1-0 in their tournament opener last week, held their nerve at De Kuip after coming under heavy first-half pressure, with Buendia and then McGinn firing killer blows for Unai Emery’s side.
Back at the venue where they sealed the club’s greatest triumph by beating Bayern Munich to lift the European Cup in 1982, Villa notched their third win in a week to put their dismal start to the season behind them.
Villa were forced into a late change before kick-off, with goalkeeper Emi Martinez withdrawn through a calf injury and replaced by summer signing Marco Bizot.
The visitors breathed a sigh of relief in the 35th minute – and Feyenoord boss Robin van Persie was left furious – when Ueda headed the home side into the lead from a corner, but the ‘goal’ was dubiously ruled out for an apparent foul on Matty Cash.
Emery’s side weathered the storm and Buendia struck the opening goal in the 61st minute, curling home into the bottom corner after being teed up by Boubacar Kamara on the edge of the area.
Emiliano Buendia scores Aston Villa's first goal. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Villa dictated the tempo thereafter and put the game to bed when McGinn steered home his third goal in as many matches, picking his spot when the ball broke to him in the area following substitute Donyell Malen’s storming run.
Bizot was on hand again with crucial saves to deny Ueda and Cyle Larin in the closing stages, preventing the Dutch from mounting a grandstand finish.
*****
Nottingham Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland
Nottingham Forest suffered defeat in their first European game at the City Ground in almost 30 years as the home fans turned on new boss Ange Postecoglou during a 3-2 Europa League loss to Midtjylland.
Postecoglou’s winless run since he took over 22 days ago continued and the Forest fans vented their frustration, with chants of “sacked in the morning” aimed at the Australian alongside songs of support for former boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
The result meant Postecoglou became the first permanent Forest boss to be winless in his first six games in 100 years.
Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou consoles the players after the Europa League match at the City Ground, Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
The home supporters had waited with anticipation for their first taste of home European action since March 1996, but Ousmane Diao’s opener killed the buzz inside the stadium.
Dan Ndoye equalised for Forest in the 22nd minute, only for Mads Bech to put the visitors in front again two minutes later.
Dan Ndoye of Nottingham Forest scores. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Midtjylland had their backs to the wall in the second period and Forest twice thought they levelled through substitute Chris Wood, but on both occasions the assistant referee’s offside flag cut celebrations short.
Instead Midtjylland caught Forest on the counter-attack and added a third through Valdemar Andreasen, sparking the chants against Postecoglou, with Wood’s late penalty unable to stop the boos from ringing around the City Ground.
*****
Crystal Palace 2-0 Dynamo Kiev
Crystal Palace set a new club record as they started their Conference League campaign with a 2-0 win over Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kiev at the Motor Lublin Arena in Poland.
Daniel Munoz scored Palace’s first-ever away goal in Europe and second-half substitute Eddie Nketiah also struck, both from Yeremy Pino left-wing crosses, to extend Palace’s unbeaten run to 19 matches.
It is their longest-ever stretch of games without a defeat, which they preserved despite Borna Sosa’s red card in the final quarter of an hour after being booked twice in the space of three minutes.
Dynamo, playing in their temporary home of Lublin amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, did not touch the ball in Palace’s area until they were down to 10 men and were unable to threaten a grandstand finale.
Palace went ahead in the 31st minute, with Dynamo briefly down to 10 as Taras Mykhavko received treatment on a head injury that led to his substitution moments later.
Pino drifted in from the left and crossed beyond the far post, where Munoz leapt above Dynamo left-back Vladyslav Dubinchak and his header arced over Ruslan Neshcheret for a historic Palace goal.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was today handed his maiden France call-up, was withdrawn at half-time and replaced by Nketiah, who made his presence felt when he slotted home and while the offside flag went up, there was no denying the England striker in the 59th minute.
Pino was once again the architect, tricking his way past Volodymyr Brazhko before delivering a low ball from the left with the outside of his right boot to Nketiah, who did likewise with his volleyed finish.
*****
Sturm Graz 2-1 Rangers
Rangers showed fighting spirit against Sturm Graz, but first-half defensive lapses resulted in a second Europa League defeat in eight days to keep under-fire boss Russell Martin on the back foot.
The Light Blues lost 1-0 to Belgian side Genk in their opening league phase game at Ibrox last Thursday night and went down 2-1 at the Merkur Arena.
Slovenia striker Tomi Horvat scored after just seven minutes and, after Rangers forward Youssef Chermiti hit the woodwork, Georgia midfielder Otar Kiteishvili drove in a second in the 35th minute and Jurgen Saumel’s side were good for their lead.
However, Gers wide man Djeidi Gassama made it 2-1 four minutes after the break with a terrific strike and offered hope for the Govan outfit, but the comeback could not be completed and, after just five wins in 16 games, the pressure remains firmly on Martin.
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McGinn scores again as Aston Villa see off Feyenoord, Ange feels Forest fans’ fury
LAST UPDATE | 2 Oct 2025
Feyenoord 0-2 Aston Villa
EMI BUENDIA AND John McGinn struck second-half goals as Aston Villa beat Feyenoord in Rotterdam to make it back-to-back Europa League wins.
Villa, who beat Bologna 1-0 in their tournament opener last week, held their nerve at De Kuip after coming under heavy first-half pressure, with Buendia and then McGinn firing killer blows for Unai Emery’s side.
Back at the venue where they sealed the club’s greatest triumph by beating Bayern Munich to lift the European Cup in 1982, Villa notched their third win in a week to put their dismal start to the season behind them.
Villa were forced into a late change before kick-off, with goalkeeper Emi Martinez withdrawn through a calf injury and replaced by summer signing Marco Bizot.
The visitors breathed a sigh of relief in the 35th minute – and Feyenoord boss Robin van Persie was left furious – when Ueda headed the home side into the lead from a corner, but the ‘goal’ was dubiously ruled out for an apparent foul on Matty Cash.
Emery’s side weathered the storm and Buendia struck the opening goal in the 61st minute, curling home into the bottom corner after being teed up by Boubacar Kamara on the edge of the area.
Villa dictated the tempo thereafter and put the game to bed when McGinn steered home his third goal in as many matches, picking his spot when the ball broke to him in the area following substitute Donyell Malen’s storming run.
Bizot was on hand again with crucial saves to deny Ueda and Cyle Larin in the closing stages, preventing the Dutch from mounting a grandstand finish.
*****
Nottingham Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland
Nottingham Forest suffered defeat in their first European game at the City Ground in almost 30 years as the home fans turned on new boss Ange Postecoglou during a 3-2 Europa League loss to Midtjylland.
Postecoglou’s winless run since he took over 22 days ago continued and the Forest fans vented their frustration, with chants of “sacked in the morning” aimed at the Australian alongside songs of support for former boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
The result meant Postecoglou became the first permanent Forest boss to be winless in his first six games in 100 years.
The home supporters had waited with anticipation for their first taste of home European action since March 1996, but Ousmane Diao’s opener killed the buzz inside the stadium.
Dan Ndoye equalised for Forest in the 22nd minute, only for Mads Bech to put the visitors in front again two minutes later.
Midtjylland had their backs to the wall in the second period and Forest twice thought they levelled through substitute Chris Wood, but on both occasions the assistant referee’s offside flag cut celebrations short.
Instead Midtjylland caught Forest on the counter-attack and added a third through Valdemar Andreasen, sparking the chants against Postecoglou, with Wood’s late penalty unable to stop the boos from ringing around the City Ground.
*****
Crystal Palace 2-0 Dynamo Kiev
Crystal Palace set a new club record as they started their Conference League campaign with a 2-0 win over Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kiev at the Motor Lublin Arena in Poland.
Daniel Munoz scored Palace’s first-ever away goal in Europe and second-half substitute Eddie Nketiah also struck, both from Yeremy Pino left-wing crosses, to extend Palace’s unbeaten run to 19 matches.
It is their longest-ever stretch of games without a defeat, which they preserved despite Borna Sosa’s red card in the final quarter of an hour after being booked twice in the space of three minutes.
Dynamo, playing in their temporary home of Lublin amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, did not touch the ball in Palace’s area until they were down to 10 men and were unable to threaten a grandstand finale.
Palace went ahead in the 31st minute, with Dynamo briefly down to 10 as Taras Mykhavko received treatment on a head injury that led to his substitution moments later.
Pino drifted in from the left and crossed beyond the far post, where Munoz leapt above Dynamo left-back Vladyslav Dubinchak and his header arced over Ruslan Neshcheret for a historic Palace goal.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was today handed his maiden France call-up, was withdrawn at half-time and replaced by Nketiah, who made his presence felt when he slotted home and while the offside flag went up, there was no denying the England striker in the 59th minute.
Pino was once again the architect, tricking his way past Volodymyr Brazhko before delivering a low ball from the left with the outside of his right boot to Nketiah, who did likewise with his volleyed finish.
*****
Sturm Graz 2-1 Rangers
Rangers showed fighting spirit against Sturm Graz, but first-half defensive lapses resulted in a second Europa League defeat in eight days to keep under-fire boss Russell Martin on the back foot.
The Light Blues lost 1-0 to Belgian side Genk in their opening league phase game at Ibrox last Thursday night and went down 2-1 at the Merkur Arena.
Slovenia striker Tomi Horvat scored after just seven minutes and, after Rangers forward Youssef Chermiti hit the woodwork, Georgia midfielder Otar Kiteishvili drove in a second in the 35th minute and Jurgen Saumel’s side were good for their lead.
However, Gers wide man Djeidi Gassama made it 2-1 four minutes after the break with a terrific strike and offered hope for the Govan outfit, but the comeback could not be completed and, after just five wins in 16 games, the pressure remains firmly on Martin.
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