Hibernian 0-5 Aston Villa: Ollie Watkins hat-trick aids Unai Emery’s side cruise to first leg Europa Conference League play-off lead
When Aston Villa fans chanted about a European tour, they’d dreamed of more than train journeys up the east coast to Edinburgh. But in beating Hibernian, Unai Emery’s side showed continental pedigree, securing at least three exotic challenges.
Ollie Watkins scored a hat-trick as Villa thrashed past Hibs five times just three days after beating Everton 4-0, as Leon Bailey added another to put the Premier League side in control of this two-legged Europa Conference League clash. qualifier.
Emery said this week he is drawing inspiration from Villa’s European Cup winners in his quest to write a new chapter in the club’s rich history, with fans still chanting about Aston’s ‘Villa lads coming into the world’. conquered all of Europe in 1982′.
But as West Ham showed last season and Jose Mourinho’s Roma the year before, this competition, ridiculed at the start, can be a great opportunity to win silverware, give fans trips to remember and give players the chance to offer to be immortalized.
There are longer journeys ahead than this foray into Easter Road – set in a picturesque part of Edinburgh with views of the Forth Bridge and Arthur’s Seat – and tougher assignments than Hibs are sure to come, but Villa would like to win this competition for themselves .
Ollie Watkins scored a hat-trick as Aston Villa eased to a 5-0 win over Hibernian
The Aston Villa striker scored twice with his head and added a third with his right foot
Your browser does not support iframes.
The bookmakers certainly do, with Emery’s side triumphing 3/1 in the final in Athens in May, and their class was on display here as they raced past Lee Johnson’s side, who finished fifth in the Scottish Premier League last season.
Home fans created quite the atmosphere at Easter Road for the tea time kick-off, but were soon silenced when Villa scored three first half goals. In the city full of tourists from all over the world for the Fringe festival, Hibs put in a comedic defense to let Villa pass them by.
All four of Villa’s opening goals came from crosses from the left, with Lucas Digne getting a hat-trick of assists. Watkins scored two with his head and another with his right foot – after VAR overturned an offside – and Bailey also scored a header, before Douglas Luiz scored the fifth.
(TagsToTranslate)dailymail