Aston Villa played to a scoreless draw against Ajax in the opening leg of their Europa Conference League last-16 matchup.
In a match characterized by limited clear-cut opportunities, both teams ended with 10 players on the field as Villa’s Ezri Konsa and Ajax defender Tristan Gooijer received second yellow cards in the final 10 minutes.
Emiliano Martinez showcased his prowess midway through the second half with a remarkable save to deny Kenneth Taylor’s left-footed strike, preventing what appeared to be a certain goal.
The return leg will take place at Villa Park in a week’s time, where Villa manager Unai Emery aims to advance his pursuit of a fifth European trophy.
Emery’s squad has displayed formidable strength at home this season, setting a record of 15 consecutive home league victories, which included triumphs over powerhouse clubs like Treble winners Manchester City and Arsenal, while also maintaining eight clean sheets.
On the other hand, Ajax struggled on the road in the Europa League this season, failing to secure a victory in any of their three away matches before transitioning to the Conference League.
Villa boss Emery said: “I’m happy, we didn’t play well, we didn’t control the game like we prepared and like we usually do but I accept that as well.
“For me now it’s very important this result is open for next week and now we will try to do something different and try to respect them, because now we know them better.
“At Villa Park we need our moment next week and try to play and be more successful than today in our idea. We didn’t deserve more than we got tonight.”