Pre-season: Aston Villa 3 Lazio 0 - Report
A sensational strike from captain John McGinn helped Villa continue their pre-season with a 3-0 win over Lazio.
McGinn thumped an effort into the top corner 10 minutes into the second half to double the advantage provided by Ollie Watkins’ 36th minute opener at Poundland Bescot Stadium.
Lazio substitute Mario Gila then put through his own net five minutes before full-time to complete an emphatic win for Unai Emery’s team, in front of a crowd of more than 10,000.
Watkins had seen a penalty saved by Ivan Provedel before breaking the deadlock and the visiting keeper helped keep the score down, on a night Villa were dominant against opponents who start their Serie A season a week later than Emery’s men kick-off in the Premier League.
Villa supporters arriving to watch just their team’s second and last pre-season fixture on UK soil will have been delighted at a starting XI which included the club’s three summer signings in Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Moussa Diaby.
Calum Chambers started at right-back and was alert twice in quick succession to thwart the visitors in the opening five minutes, first sticking out a leg to divert Manuel Lazzari’s low cross away from Ciro Immobile, before again being in the right place to clear Toma Basic’s shot on the follow-up.
Chambers should perhaps then have opened the scoring at the other end but after being allowed plenty of space at a corner he sent his header too close to keeper Provedel.
Soon after, Watkins was guilty of doing the same from the penalty spot. Boubacar Kamara burst out of midfield and was brought down by a sliding Alessio Romagnoli. Watkins hit his spot-kick hard and down the middle but the ball crashed against Provedel’s legs with Tielemans unable to get sufficient power on his headed rebound effort.
Still, Villa were hitting their stride, with Diaby beginning to raise the tempo and the volume. One dash down the right wing ended with him picking out an unmarked Tielemans on the edge of the box, the midfielder hitting a first-time shot which crashed off the underside of the bar with Provedel unmoved.
It was Villa continuing to ask the questions and Buendia should have done better after Watkins laid a Kamara pass into his path on the edge of the box. Instead, his shot lacked power and was easy for Provedel.
Yet the keeper was given no chance when Watkins did break the deadlock nine minutes from time. Tielemans picked out his run with a fine ball out of midfield and the striker cut inside onto his favoured right foot before hammering a low effort into the bottom corner.
Buendia came close to doubling the lead when he held off a defender to bring the ball down in the box but could only squeeze his shot wide of the post.
Lazio were struggling to make headway but were almost gifted a leveller shortly before half-time when Robin Olsen passed the ball straight to Mattia Zaccagni on the edge of his box. The striker seemed startled to get the chance and soon it was gone as he hesitated and was crowded out by recovering defenders.
Villa made seven changes at the break with Tielemans, one of those to remain on the field, almost opening the second half with a goal as he thumped a left-footed effort just wide of the target.
Philippe Coutinho was among the new arrivals and saw a shot deflected wide after a neat move involving fellow substitutes Cameron Archer and McGinn.
It was the latter who then lit proceedings up with a stunning goal to double his team’s lead. Picking the ball up from Matty Cash, McGinn cut inside from the right and unleashed an unstoppable effort over Provedel and into the top corner.
A minute later the goalkeeper pulled off a brilliant one-handed stop to keep out Coutinho’s curling free-kick and prevent Villa going further ahead, receiving the stroke of luck the save deserved when Digne headed the rebound over the bar.
Former Chelsea and Barcelona star Pedro was among the Lazio substitutes and it was he who brought the first save of the night from Olsen inside the final 20 minutes, the Villa keeper diving to his right to push the effort wide.
The final word went to the unlucky Gila who, sliding in, could only deflect Seb Revan’s cross into his own net, beyond the despairing Luiz Maximiano who had replaced Provedel with 10 minutes remaining.
Teams
Villa (4-4-2): Olsen, Chambers, Konsa (Cash HT), Torres (Mings HT), Digne (Revan 70), Bailey (Philogene HT), Kamara (Luiz HT), Tielemans (Kellyman 70), Buendia (McGinn HT), Diaby (Coutinho HT), Watkins (Archer) Subs not used: Zych (gk), Martinez (gk).
Lazio (4-4-2): Provedel (Maximiano 80), Lazzari, Casale (Castellanos 60), Romagnoli (Gila 80), Marusic (Hysaj 60), Vecino (Bettini 70), Cataldi (Patric 60), Basic, Andersen (Cancellieri 82), Immobile (Pedro 60), Zaccagni (Antonio 60) Subs not used: Bertini, Gonzalez, Dutu, Ruggeri.
