Freiburg – Aston Villa: Unai Emery, The King Of Europa League Strikes Again (0-3)

For the fifth time in his managerial career, the Europa League bowed to Unai Emery, as he guided Aston Villa to their first major European trophy since 1982. Freiburg simply had no answers to the Villains’ superiority—neither in the air, nor on the ground, nor from dead-ball situations.

Tactical analysis and match report by Achraf Lamdarhri.

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Under the management of Julian Schuster, SC Freiburg has enjoyed an unprecedented and historic campaign. Functioning seamlessly on a modest budget and smart recruitment, the Breisgau-Brasilianer seemed to exceed expectations, as they secured seventh place in the Bundesliga, allowing them a European participation next term. Achieving the Europa League final was the cherry on the cake of a fairytale run on the continental stage. Freiburg has been able to go beyond its best achievement in the competition—round of sixteen—by showcasing immense courage and grit and displaying offensive firepower in the knockout stage to reach the first European final in the club’s 122-year history.

Unai Emery stepped into the Villa Park dugout, inheriting a squad drifting dangerously toward the Premier League relegation battle. Since then, Aston Villa has drastically changed under the Spanish manager. They registered themselves as a regular force at the top of the Premier League table, competing for the European spots. In the 2023/24 season, Unai Emery propelled the Villains to the semi-final of the Conference League. The following season, Aston Villa attained the quarter-final of the Champions League, one of their best European achievements in their recent history. In the 2025/26 season, the Spanish manager drove them to their first major European final since the historic 1982 European Cup victory and the subsequent 1982-83 European Super Cup.

Julian Schuster started the final with Lukas Kübler in the right back spot and Philipp Treu in the left back position. Matthias Ginter partnered with Philipp Lienhart at the heart of the defense. Maximilian Eggestein and Nicolas Höfler formed the double pivot. Jan-Niklas Beste and Vincenzo Grifo hugged the touchlines on paper. Johan Manzambi operated behind the striker Igor Matanović.

At the backline, Unai Emery introduced Lucas Digne, Pau Torres, Esri Konsa, and Matty Cash. The Spanish manager maintained Victor Lindelof as a defensive midfielder, slotting him next to Youri Tielemans. Emiliano Buendía, Morgan Rogers, and John McGinn acted as attacking midfielders behind Ollie Watkins.

Strong start from the Villains

It didn’t take that long for Aston Villa to register the first shot on target. Seconds before this event, the Villains sat in a 4-4-2 medium block against Freiburg’s 4-2-3-1 shape in possession. Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins took a position between the center-backs and the double pivots. McGinn and Buendia jumped onto the fullbacks diagonally from the half-spaces toward the wide channels. As Leinhart prodded the ball onto Ginter, Watkins pounced onto the ball holder, with Rogers moving across and keeping tabs on Höfler. As the ball moved wide, Freiburg’s right back narrowed inside to drag Beundia with him and open up the passing lane between Ginter and the right winger, Beste.

In the meantime, Youri Tielemans left his man, Eggestein, retreating to cut off the out-in passing toward Manzambi, who was marked by Lindelof. As the ball progressed, McGinn followed the left winger Grifo inside, whereas Buendia dispossessed Beste near the touchlines. Digne collected the ball and found Tielemans, who attempted to recycle. Manzambi anticipated the backward pass, picking the ball up, trying to combine with Matanovic between the lines. Tielemans quickly recovered and cleanly tackled Manzambi, gaining possession. The Belgian midfielder spotted the gap between Freiburg’s center-backs and the midfield line, where Watkins strolled and laid the ball off to Rogers. The latter, from the edge of the box, fired the ball toward the left of the net, where the goalkeeper had to stretch and save the shot.

In possession, the Villains constructed their attacks in a 4-2-3-1 formation, in which Martinez took position between the center-backs, who split wide. Buendia and McGinn drifted infield, operating around Rogers and leaving room for the fullbacks to advance. As a reaction, Freiburg tended to cut off the central access, starting with Matanovic, who blocked off the passing lane between Martinez and Lindelof and curved his movements to shut down access toward Konsa. In the meantime, Grifo moved inside toward Lindelof, and Eggestein split the double pivots, with Manzambi standing between Tielemans and Torres.

Behind, Beste kept a close position to Buendia and was ready to run toward Digne. Höfler monitored Rogers, the fullbacks marked McGinn and Buendia, and the center-backs doubled up on Watkins. As Aston Villa worked the ball across the backline, Freiburg would swing across the pitch to close down Matty Cash near the touchlines. The Polish right back would slide the ball toward McGinn, who would resist contact and spin around Treu, trying to work the ball inside. However, Freiburg’s right back fouled his man.

Unai Emery’s side pressed in a 4-4-2 diamond shape, in which Watkins curved his run to lock the passing lane between the goalkeeper and Ginter, whereas Rogers stayed between Höfler and Lienhart. Tielemans split the double pivots. Höfler exploited the blindside of Rogers to bounce the pass off to the free center-back, Ginter, whereas Eggestein pulled wide. Aston Villa shuffled their block across toward the ball zone. Meanwhile, Manzambi darted wide behind Tielamans to receive Ginter’s pass between the lines. Manzambi looked to find the right back. However, he underhit the pass, enabling Lindelof to pick it up. Tielemans came short, showing for the ball, whereas Digne sprints behind, alerting the Belgian midfielder to find him space.

Freiburg’s high press enabled Villa to find the free man

Freiburg leaned toward keeping a numerical superiority at the backline. Unai Emery’s side would work the ball into the space between the lines to access the free man and progress. Aston Villa would recycle and invite Freiburg’s high press. The Villains circulated the ball across toward the wide Pau Torres, who broke down Freiburg’s first line of pressure diagonally to access Buendia. The latter dashed into the space between the lines to find the free Lindelof. Grifo, narrowing inside, generated another free man in Matty Cash, forcing Schuster’s side to retreat. Freiburg’s double pivots were caught watching the ball, whilst Rogers and Watkins attacked depth, stretching the space between the lines. Tielemans sliced Freiburg open. However, the miscommunication between Rogers and Buendia saw the ball rolling toward the center-back, Lienhart.

12th minute: Aston Villa recycles toward Martinez. Freiburg looks to reload the high press. As indicated previously, one of the double pivots operates around Rogers as Grifo narrows inside toward Lindelof. This time, the Villains don’t work the ball across the backline, as Martinez clips it over into the space between the lines, where Buendia drops to lay the ball off to the free Lindelof. The latter picks out McGinn, who spots Rogers running behind the backline.

When playing against Freiburg’s 4-4-2 medium/low block, Aston Villa attempted to generate gaps between the lines to work the ball up the pitch. That came via Tielemans and Lindelof operating in close proximity to the center-backs, dragging their counterparts forward. Meanwhile, Matty Cash dropped out, pulling out Grifo, whilst McGinn and Watkins pinned Lienhart and Treu. That enabled Cash to combine with the Scottish international and immediately move into the space between the lines to link with Watkins. Matty Cash detected Morgan Rogers near the far post. However, his cross was cleared by Kübler away.

40th minute: McGinn and Lindelof pull Treu and Höfler out of their positions. Eggestein withdraws to cover the space between the lines and deny access to Watkins. Freiburg’s front two tend to monitor the center-backs. Hence, Youri Tielemans remains free. Meanwhile, Rogers darts diagonally from the right half-space into the central channel, exploiting Höfler’s blindside to receive Tielemans’ line-breaking pass. The Villains work the ball toward Matty Cash with Rogers attacking the near post. However, Lukas Kübler was in the right place to intercept the cross.

Seconds later, Aston Villa opened up the score from a short corner kick. The routine was as follows. Matanovic and Ginter operated zonally around the near post. Höfler and Grifo stuck with Watkins and Buendia around the goalkeeper. At the edge of the six-yard box, Manzambi, Lienhart, and Eggestein marked Lindelof, Torres, and Konsa, respectively. In the left half-space—inside the box—Treu kept tabs on Cash, with Kübler being close to Digne, and Rogers being ready to jump on as they play the short corner. As Digne passed the ball to Rogers, Buendia shifted across, drawing his marker with him. Watkins left the six-yard box, with Lindelof, Torres, and Konsa pushing their men toward the goal and blocking off their movements. The telos was to vacate the space for Tielemans, who arrived from the left inside channel, curving his run to penetrate the box and land at the edge of the six-yard area, meeting Rogers’ pass at the right spot to fire it home.

At the start of the second half, Freiburg jumped to press in a man-oriented fashion, in which Lindelof was no longer the free man from Aston Villa, as Eggestein and Höfler occupied the double pivots. Villa’s center-backs spread wide, allowing Martinez to have room between them. The Argentinian goalkeeper launched a long pass to Watkins. The center-backs doubled up on the English striker, with the fullbacks dealing with Buendia and McGinn inside. As a result, Morgan Rogers was able to collect the second ball and drive forward. Buendia dashed from the left half-space into the central channel, trying to combine with Rogers at the edge of the box. However, Ginter timed his step-out to halt Aston Villa’s attack.

Freiburg had no answers to Villa’s medium block and buildup

Aston Villa tended to sit in a 4-4-2 medium/low block. One of the Freiburg midfielders dropped in to compose a situational back three alongside the center-backs and overloaded Villa’s first line. In midfield, Schuster’s side formed a diamond as the fullbacks drifted inside with the wingers stretching the width. Lindelof, Tielemans, and McGinn took charge of the fullbacks and the attacking midfielder. One of Villa’s front two dealt with the sole pivot, with the other getting closer to Freiburg’s far-side fullback. Buendia would drop to the backline to engage with Beste. Ginter would exploit Aston Villa’s block, leaning toward the ball’s side to switch the play toward Grifo. The latter cut inside, with Matanovic, Treu, and Beste pushing Villa’s backline rearward. Freiburg worked the ball back to Ginter, who spotted Matty Cash getting overloaded. However, Martinez easily collected the cross.

Schuster’s team returned to press in a 4-4-2 diamond shape. Aston Villa’s center-back, Esri Konsa, slid a line-breaking pass to McGinn. Höfler shifted toward the ball side with Eggestein sticking with Lindelof. McGinn noticed the free man in Tielemans, playing the ball back to the Belgian midfielder. Buendia, tucking inside, dragged Beste and Kübler with him. That vacated the wide channel for Digne to advance. The French left back prodded the ball onto Buendia. In the meantime, Watkins attacked the near post and looked to retreat, drawing Ginter’s attention. That evacuated the space around the near post area for Rogers to attack and flick Buendia’s cross home.

58th minute: Aston Villa exploits Freiburg’s 4-4-2 high press via an up-and-back combination to find the free man and access the far side.

Seventeen minutes later, Aston Villa was close to scoring another goal, exposing Freiburg’s high press. Manzambi jumped onto Martinez and screened Tielemans, which drove Villa’s goalkeeper to pick out the wide Torres. Matanovic and Beste pounced on Villa’s left center-back and left back. In the meantime, Buendia drifted wide, dragging his marker with him and evacuating the inside of the pitch for Tielemans to push on, show for the ball, and unlock the diagonal passing lane between him and Torres. The Belgian midfielder carried the ball from the left half-space into the center, waiting for McGinn to dash behind Eggestein to feed him. The Scottish professional dribbled past Ginter, penetrating the box. Tielemans appeared at the edge of the penalty box, spotting Buendia sneaking behind Treu to face the goalkeeper. Buendia unexpectedly sent the ball toward the outer net.

Takeaways

Aston Villa was the superior team in every aspect of the game. The Villains dominated Freiburg when Martinez clipped long launches toward Watkins, who usually won his aerial duels and was able to hold the play up with McGinn, Rogers, and Buendia pouncing on the second balls to continue the attack. On the other hand, Freiburg’s high press served Unai Emery’s side well as Schuster’s team maintained an extra defender against Villa’s front. That generated a free man for the Villains in midfield, whom they made use of to access the far side and progress. Additionally, Aston Villa was well-versed in dead-ball situations, especially the short corners in which they tried to free up certain areas inside the penalty box to exploit. At the end, Unai Emery proved once again that the Europa League is his beloved competition, steering Aston Villa to their first European trophy since 1982.

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