Aston Villa beat Freiburg 3-0 to win Europa League after 44 years

Aston Villa ended a 44-year wait for European success with a commanding 3-0 win over SC Freiburg in the UEFA Europa League final at Beşiktaş Park, denying the German side a first major trophy in their history.

Wearing an all-white kit as a tribute to their 1982 European Cup-winning heroes, Villa started brightly and nearly struck within two minutes when Morgan Rogers forced an early save from Noah Atubolu after testing him with a powerful effort.

Freiburg responded with a rare opening through Nicolas Höfler, whose effort drifted wide of Emiliano Martínez’s goal as they struggled to settle into their first-ever European final.

Villa soon asserted control before the break, scoring twice in seven minutes. Their opener came from a rehearsed corner routine, with Youri Tielemans finishing clinically from a well-delivered cross after intelligent movement created space in the box.

Moments later, Emiliano Buendía produced a moment of brilliance, turning sharply on the edge of the area before curling a precise strike into the far corner to double Villa’s advantage and send their supporters into celebration.

Any hopes of a Freiburg comeback were effectively ended just before the hour mark when Rogers added a third, finishing smartly from Buendía’s low cross after a sharp attacking move.

Despite late substitutions from Freiburg, Villa remained dominant and even threatened further goals through Buendía and John McGinn, though the scoreline stayed at 3-0.

The result secured Aston Villa’s long-awaited European triumph, marking a defining moment in Unai Emery’s tenure and a historic night for the club and its supporters.