Super-sub Barkley snatches winner as Villa edge thriller with Leipzig

Ross Barkley came off the bench to score a late deflected winner as Aston Villa took a massive step towards automatic qualification for the UEFA Champions League knockout stage with a 3-2 win at RB Leipzig.

Villa twice led a breathless encounter in Germany via goals from captain John McGinn (3′) and free-scoring substitute Jhon Duran (52′), only for Marco Rose’s side to hit back in style against the Premier League visitors through Lois Openda (27′) and Christoph Baumgartner (62′).

But Unai Emery’s side sealed a merited win on 85 minutes when Barkley saw a speculative effort take a huge deflection off Lukas Klostermann to nestle in the home net.

Villa move onto 13 points from six matches, third in the standings, but Leipzig’s forgettable campaign is over after a sixth-straight defeat.

Emery’s side made it hard for themselves against a spirited home team with defensive lapses enabling Leipzig to remain in the hunt for a first point of the competition until Barkley’s late intervention.

But the Premier League team got the job done in the end. Which is all that matters.

With 15 points being deemed likely to be good enough to finish inside the top eight, the former European champions only need one more win or two more draws to avoid the playoff round, which would be an achievement in itself.

They visit Monaco on January 21 in their penultimate group-stage fixture, before finishing off against Scottish champions Celtic at Villa Park on January 29.

Emery will want to complete the job with a game to spare.

Just an outstanding finisher, who must wonder what he has to do to start for Villa on a regular basis. Scored a lovely opener from distance after replacing Ollie Watkins at the break, and was only denied a clinical second moments later by a marginal offside call against Matty Cash in setting up the Colombian forward to finish.

RB Leipzig: Gulacsi 6, Geertruida 6, Orban 6, Nusa 7, Haidara 6, Openda 8, Seiwald 7, Baumgartner 8, Vermeeren 6, Sesko 6, Henrichs 6 Subs: Klostermann 6, Andre Silva 6, Kampl 6

Aston Villa: Martinez 7, Cash 7, Carlos 6, Konsa 6, Pau Torres 6, Digne 7, Kamara 6, Tielemans 7, McGinn 7, Rogers 7, Watkins 6 Subs: Nedeljkovic 6, Maatsen 6, Barkley 7, Duran 8, Buendía 6

3′ GOAL! RB LEIPZIG 0-1 ASTON VILLA (MCGINN) A 50th career goal from the Villa skipper. As easy as you like. Watkins with the header back down from the Cash cross and McGinn arrives to tuck the ball into the net. A dream start in Germany.

25′ GOAL! (OPENDA) RB LEIPZIG 1-1 ASTON VILLA Right out of nothing the home side are level as Lois Openda punishes some hesitancy in the Villa defence. Emiliano Martinez doesn’t come for a Nicolas Seiwald ball over top, and Openda rounds the keeper to slip home the equaliser.

52′ GOAL! RB LEIPZIG 1-2 ASTON VILLA (DURAN) And that is a fine finish from super-sub Duran as the effort from distance dips over the home goalkeeper Gulacsi, who should really be doing a lot better. Not sure why he is so far off his line.

58′ VILLA GOAL RULED OFFSIDE Excellent low finish by Duran from the Cash cross as Villa appear to move 3-1 clear, but VAR confirms Cash went too early before he provided the assist.

61′ GOAL! (BAUMGARTNER) RB LEIPZIG 2-2 ASTON VILLA Christoph Baumgartner with a stunning finish on the volley from the chipped pass by Openda. Only their second shot of the night, and they are level at 2-2.

85′ GOAL! RB LEIPZIG 2-3 ASTON VILLA (BARKLEY) A fortunate goal as sub Barkley slips as he fires a shot at goal, but it takes a massive deflection off Klostermann before nestling in the home net. How lucky is that? But they all count.