Aston Villa defeated SC Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final. Goals came from Youri Tielemans, Emiliano Buendía and Morgan Rogers in Istanbul.
The match started evenly, but Freiburg lost control in the closing stages of the first half. Youri Tielemans scored in the 41st minute to give Aston Villa the lead. Emiliano Buendía made it 2:0 shortly before the break.
After the interval, Morgan Rogers sealed the win with the third goal in the 58th minute. SC Freiburg made five substitutions but failed to score. The season ended without the hoped-for first major title.
Unai Emery celebrated his fifth Europa League title as a coach. Prince William attended the match and appeared emotional after the victory. SC Freiburg coach Julian Schuster said after the game: “For the moment I feel no satisfaction. We lost a final, that dominates for the moment and hurts a lot.”
The win qualifies Aston Villa for the Champions League. SC Freiburg will instead compete in the Conference League. Around 11,000 Freiburg fans traveled to Istanbul, with another 15,000 watching at a public viewing in Freiburg.
