Legia Warsaw 3 Aston Villa 2: Premier League side’s first appearance in Europe for 13 years ends in valiant defeat

UNAI EMERY failed to clock up his 100th victory in Europe as Villa lost out in a five-goal thriller in Warsaw.

Kosta Runjaic had described this as a David and Goliath clash between the Premier League millionaires and his cut-price heroes.

ReutersLegia Warsaw ensured it was a miserable return to Europe for Aston Villa[/caption]

PALucas Digne thought he had done enough to earn the Villans a draw[/caption]

But the Poles deserved their win as Albanian striker Ernest Muci took care of ‘Goliath,’ with two deadly sling-shot finishes to add to Pawel Wszolek’s third minute opener.

Although Villa fought back to level twice through Jhon Duran and Lucas Digne, they failed to trouble Legia again until three minutes from the end.

The ball fell perfectly for comeback sub Jacob Ramsey but he failed to hit the target from the edge of the box.

Moussa Diaby was then denied by Kacper Tobiasz who raced off his line to block him before Douglas Luiz made it a hat-trick of misses as he curled his shot over in stoppage time.

Youri Tielemans hit the side net deep in stoppage time but it was too little, way too late for Villa who must now look to get back on the rails when Bosnian outsiders Zrinjski Mostar visit Villa Park in 13 days time.

Poland’s new national manager Michael Probierz was in the stands, just 24 hours after being appointed to his new role.

However, if he was here to check on Matty Cash’s form he was out of luck as the 13-times-capped Polish international started on the bench.

His place was taken by Callum Chambers, one of five changes Emery made from the side which beat Crystal Palace at the weekend.

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The Spaniard will reflect that was a disastrous error and the former Arsenal centre-back was soon exposed in his right-back role as Legia stormed into the lead within three minutes.

Chambers gave Patryk Kun too much space and when the left back crossed Pawel Wszolek dashed in front of Lucas Digne to expertly tuck the ball beyond Emi Martinez.

It was a brilliant start for the Poles and scored by a player who has a history of making life tough for Villa.

As a Queens Park Rangers player, Wszolek faced them five times, scoring once in a 1-0 win in 2018 and providing two further assists.

Yet within three minutes Villa stunned the rowdy 30,000 home fans into silence with a speedy equaliser.

Nicolo Zaniolo spun and turned Radovan Pankov in the middle of the park and burst forward before smashing in a sensational left foot shot from 30 yards.

Legia keeper Kacper Tobiasz managed to push the ball onto his crossbar but John Duran, like all good strikers, followed in to head the ball high into the empty net.

It was the 19-year-old Colombian superkid’s fourth goal in six games and it sent the 1700 Villa fans wild in Warsaw.

But the home side, backed by a passionate full-house, were in the mood and they regained their lead midway through a frantic first half.

Wszolek was the dangerman again as he turned provider this time forcing his cross through Lucas Digne’s challenge.

His deflected cross picked out Ernest Muci, who had left Chambers for dead, to give himself all the time and space he needed to beat Martinez with a crisp right foot half-volley.

It was breathless stuff at times as this pair slogged it out and Martinez did well to deny Marc Gual a third with a super save after 37 minutes.

It was to prove a crucial stop because two minutes later Villa drew level for the second time on the night.

John McGinn’s attempted shot deflected off Yuri Ribeiro into the path of Lucas Digne and the Frenchman rifled a shot which flew into the top bin with the help of a deflection off Wszolek.

Villa ended the half strongly and Tobiasz denied Duran a second as he blocked his close range shot with his legs.

But Villa fell behind again six minutes after the break when Muci was allowed to run from deep and Konsa and Chambers both stood off him long enough to allow him to rifle a low shot in from the edge of the box.

Although Martinez got his fingers to it, the ball bounced in off the far post to restore Legia’s lead.

Unai Emery had seen enough and made a treble substitution on the hour, sending on big guns Douglas Luiz, Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby for Kamara, Duran and McGinn.

But it was Legia who were in total control and Martinez had to save them from conceding a fourth when he beat out Bartosz Slisz’s long range attempt before Villa’s late flurry of chances.