RB Leipzig vs Aston Villa - Champions League RECAP: Unai Emery's side edge five-goal thriller in Germany to move back into top eight automatic spots

What a night!

The Champions League always delivers and it was certainly no different tonight, I am only just recovering.

It started with Liverpool maintaining their perfect record in the competition with a win away at Girona.

And it finished with Aston Villa edging a five-goal thriller to go within one win of the knockout stages.

Unai Emery's super subs did the damage again with both Jhon Duran and Ross Barkley scoring off the bench to help win Villa the game.

Anyway, I'm now going to shoot off, but don't worry, I will be back tomorrow night with more Champions League drama.

I can't wait to see you all there, goodbye!

Ross Barkley, Aston Villa goalscorer, speaking to Amazon Prime:

That's the role of the lads on the bench - to try and make a difference. Jhon Duran made a difference and I am happy to score the winner. They all count.

As you have seen he [Duran] comes off the bench and causes chaos and scores goals. We have got two top strikers fighting to start.

Right, let's have a look at the statistics, shall we?

You don't mee need to tell you that we have just witnessed a cracker, but these stats certainly back it up.

Five goals, 36 shots, 14 on target - it was a belter.

Defences were far from their best and attackers had a field day. A thoroughly entertaining watch.

Final scores in the Champions League:

• Dynamo Zagreb 0-0 Celtic
• Girona 0-1 Liverpool
• Atalanta 2-3 Real Madrid
• Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 Inter Milan
• Brest 1-0 PSV
• Club Brugge 2-1 Sporting CP
• Leipzig 2-3 Aston Villa
• Salzburg 0-3 PSG
• Shakhtar Donetsk 1-5 Bayern Munich

John McGinn, Aston Villa captain, speaking to Amazon Prime:

It was disappointing losing the offside goal. I think the two goals we conceded were disappointing from our point of view. I thought overall we were the better team and we could have scored more.

We dealt with their problems well and what we needed today was substitutes to come on and make a difference.

It is exciting. We had some disappointing results off the great start and it is great to be in the top three. We have that Monaco game and then a nice one against Celtic.

Jhon Duran looks back to his best again once more.

I assume he was pretty annoyed at being left on the bench after his performance against Southampton.

But once again, he showed Unai Emery why he deserves a run starting for Villa.

Duran has now scored six goals after coming on as a substitute in all competitions for Aston Villa this season.

That's the most by any player for clubs in Europe's big-five leagues in 2024-25.

Not a bad record at all, eh?

Just look at the celebrations.

Ross Barkley scoring a Champions League match-winning goal was certainly not on my 2024 bingo card.

He needed a lot of luck, but Aston Villa certainly deserved that based on their performance.

It doesn't matter how they go in, just that they do.

Ross Barkley's second-half strike may just turn out to be the most important in Aston Villa's season.

A draw would have made life very difficult for Aston Villa with just two games to go.

However, that late goal now means Villa are on the verge of qualification, with one more win likely to be enough.

They now sit third in the table, level on points with Bayer Leverkusen and six behind leaders Liverpool.

Their dream of the knockout stages is edging ever closer.

Emery will be straight on his laptop watching back the clips of Leipzig’s two goals. That is how he is: no time to celebrate the present, only correct the mistakes of this game and look to the next.

The unusual scene just now with Red Bull boss Marco Rose appearing to console referee Maurizio Mariani, who looked close to tears. Mariani was then hugged by one of the other officials. One to ask Rose about after the game.

Aston Villa return to winning ways in Europe.

Unai Emery's substitutions made the difference and now his side are just one win away from automatic qualification.

Meanwhile, it's now six losses from six for Leipzig and their knockout dreams are most certainly over.

Another memorable night for Emery's side in the Champions League.

That should be that...

Ian Maatsen has a mare while trying to clear the ball in his own box and it falls to Lois Openda.

But for some reason, Openda tries a speculative volley and he fluffs it miles wide of goal.

Just the one more minute to ri=de out for Villa.

Aston Villa only have to survive for four more minutes.

I must admit, I thought there was going to be more time due to VAR checks and goals.

Leipzig are not giving up just yet.

Emi Martinez is called into action yet again this time denying Antonio Nusa from a tight angle.

But time is running out for the hosts.

My word, this game is relentless.

Benjamin Henrichs nearly provides the perfect response but Emi Martinez denies him.

Aston Villa then fly forward on the counter in search of a fourth but can't find it.

You can't take your eyes off this one.

A huge goal for Aston Villa!

The visitors get a huge slice of luck and Ross Barkley is wheeling away in celebration.

Just a minute after coming on Barkley has a crack at goal from outside the box.

His effort takes a monster deflection and flies into the other corner to give Villa the lead for the third time.

Could that be the winner?

Aston Villa are starting to wobble so Unai Emery makes some more changes.

Ross Barkley and Ian Maatsen are both on with Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne make way.

Meanwhile, Lukas Klostermann is on for Leipzig.

Lois Openda, you simply have to do better!

Aston Villa I've him another gift as they give the ball away at the back and he is through.

Openda simply has to score but he can only fire his effort low at Emi Martinez.

Aston Villa can count themselves very lucky.

Jeez...

Leipzig were given a free-kick just outside the box and took what felt like a lifetime to take it.

In the end, Lois Openda sends it straight into the wall, and that waiting was all for nothing.

Benjamin Henrichs then gets booked for some reason.

Unai Emery makes yet another change as Aston Villa search for this winner.

Emi Buendia is called upon and he replaces captain John McGnn for the final part of this match.

Morgan Rogers has found his rhythm now.

The midfielder glides past several players before playing a give-and-go and feeding Lucas Digne.

The full-back aims for the top corner with a bending effort but Lucas Digne does well to push it past the post.

Unai Emery has turned to the bench.

Kosta Nedeljkovic is given the nod by the Aston Villa boss and he comes on for Matty Cash.

That suggests a change in formation from the back three, I suspect.

Youri Tielemans does not have his shooting boots on today.

Earlier he fired wide from distance and now he has just blazed miles over the bar.

Not his finest match, it has to be said.

I simply can't call this game now.

Whenever Aston Villa look like they are about to run away with it, Leipzig hit back out of nothing.

Anyone who predicts this game will probably win a lot of money.

Oh, what a finish!

Just like that, Leipzig are level through Christoph Baumgartner only moments after Aston Villa thought they were two goals ahead.

Lois Openda clips a scrumptious ball to the back post and Baumgartner produces a stunning lofty volley into the far corner.

What. A. Game.

That didn't take long...

VAR takes no time at all to disallow the goal and that's why the Premier League needs the automated offside system. So efficient.

It's a shame, it was one hell of a move.

Wait a minute...

Matty Cash looks like he may have strayed offside in the build-up by the smallest of margins.

I have a feeling this one will be chalked off.

Jhon Duran is at it again!

For the second time in six minutes, Duran is wheeling away in celebration.

It's a stunning Aston Villa move as Matty Cash is fed down the right, squares the ball for Duran, and he does the rest.

What a substitution from Unai Emery.

Confidence is flowing through this Aston Villa side now, my word.

They flow forward in numbers yet again and this time the ball is worked to Morgan Rogers on the edge of the area.

He has a pop at goal but can only bend it over the bar. He should do better there really.

Aston Villa are all over Leipzig like a rash.

Jhon Duran is in the middle of it all and he feeds Morgan Rogers down the right who clips a ball into the danger area.

Peter Gulasci just about deals with it at the second time of asking.

WHAT A HIT FROM JHON DURAN!

There is a reason this lad is called a super sub and he has just shown it to give Aston Villa the lead.

Duran loves a shot from distance and he doesn't shy away as he bends the ball in from 25 yards out.

Peter Gulasci should do better but it's still a lovely strike from Duran.

Aston Villa have started this half well, just like they did the first.

This time it's Boubacar Kamara who has a crack but it's a rather rubbish effort from the midfielder.

He does not get hold of the ball at all and it rolls harmlessly into the arms of Peter Gulasci.

Jhon Duran is straight into the action.

The striker does not hang about and his eyes light up as the ball bounces his way on the edge of the area.

He tries to drill it toward the far corner but the ball bobbles harmlessly wide of the mark.

He grimaces as he knows he should do better there.

Tom, you're spot on!

Aston Villa's super-sub Jhon Duran has entered the action for the second half with Ollie Watkins making way.

If that is a Watkins injury, that is one hell of a blow for Unai Emery's side.

Meanwhile, Kevin Kampl is on for Leipzig as the second half gets underway.

Looks like we’ll have Jhon Duran for the second half. He’s out warming up in full kit, as opposed to the other substitutes who are in bibs and tracksuits. Villa have attacked well so I suspect this is an injury.

Now let's talk about the positives, eh?

Aston Villa made an electric start when John McGinn scored after 153 seconds. It was a brilliant goal.

It means McGinn is only the second player to score in the opening three minutes of a major European competition for Aston Villa.

The only other player to do so is Peter Withe, who did so twice in the UEFA Cup against Vitória Guimaraes in September 1983 and Spartak Moscow in November 1983.

Pretty good company, right Villa fans?

I am still a bit bewildered by this Emi Martinez mistake.

Don't me wrong, Diego Carlos is not blameless, I have no idea why he let the ball bounce.

It's something you learn when you first play the game, you never let the ball bounce.

Still, Martinez was in no man's land, I have no idea what was going through his head.

A howler from both of them.

First-half scores in the Champions League:

• Dynamo Zagreb 0-0 Celtic (FT)
• Girona 0-1 Liverpool (FT)
• Atalanta 1-1 Real Madrid
• Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Inter Milan
• Brest 1-0 PSV
• Club Brugge 1-1 Sporting CP
• Leipzig 1-1 Aston Villa
• Salzburg 0-1 PSG
• Shakhtar Donetsk 1-2 Bayern Munich

Diego Carlos shares a friendly word with Openda as the teams leave the field at half-time. The pair had a running battle during a pre-season friendly last summer, and Villa’s Brazilian defender was shown the red card.

Clearly no hard feelings – though after Carlos helped gift Openda the equaliser, that’s probably no surprise.

There goes the whistle.

It was all going so well for Aston Villa until one silly mistake from Emi Martinez changed the match.

It was a fairly entertaining first half, but I'm sure Unai Emery will be laying into his side at the break.

Plenty of life left in this one, that's for sure.

It seems Aston Villa have finally locked on that they need to feed Ollie Watkins.

He races through yet again and this time he is definitely onside, but he fires the ball straight at Peter Gulacsi from a tight angle.

This is much better from Villa.

Oooooh, that is very tight...

Ollie Watkins races away and puts the ball beyond Peter Gulacsi and into the net.

He looked a mile offside originally and the flag goes up, but the replay makes it look a lot closer.

Still, he is definitely offside and VAR agrees.

Aston Villa's creativity has been sapped completely since Leipzig equalised.

Ollie Watkins is making run after run but not a single Villa player has tried to feed him.

It's just a lot of side-to-side passing now.

That goal has given Leipzig life.

Their attack has got going and seem to be in full flow as Benjamin Henrichs sees a shot deflected wide following a counter.

It's mental what one lapse in concentration can do to a football match.

During his Villa career Diego Carlos has been prone to the odd brain freeze and this looked like another. It was a simple ball to deal with and one of him, Konsa and Martinez should have done so. When Tyrone Mings is back up to full speed, I don’t see Carlos playing many games.

I know it's Christmas, but it's not time for gift-giving yet. It seems Emi Martinez needs someone to tell him that.

That was such a silly goal to give away. Aston Villa have been in complete control, Leipzig simply didn't look like scoring.

Now suddenly the hosts are back in the game.

Out of absolutely nowhere!

I have plenty of questions for Emi Martinez as he has just gifted the hosts an equaliser.

Leipzig punt the ball up the pitch out of hope more than anything and Martinez should deal with it.

But he totally misjudged the pass and the ball bounces over his head and Luis Openda taps it into an empty net.

What the hell was Martinez thinking there?

That's a little better.

I finally have a chance to report as the ball drops to Matty Cash following an Aston Villa corner.

He looks set to drill it toward goal as he runs up to it with some intent, but his shot is blocked.

Better than nothing, I guess.

OK, this game needs to pick up the pace, it is just drifting now.

Aston Villa win two free-kicks in the space of a minute. It's just so stop-start.

I feel the dinner question coming...

We associate Red Bull clubs with pace and energy both in and out of possession but there has been so little of that here. No wonder coach Marco Rose is under pressure.

There are so many talents in this team – Sesko, Openda, Vermeeren, Nusa. We’ve barely seen any of them, which is great credit to how Villa have started.

Leipzig really are having a stinker so far.

They are starting to get more of the ball but are not threatening Aston Villa in the slightest.

I know they have been rubbish in the Champions League this season, but I was not expecting this bad of a display, especially at home.

You can never keep a good player down for too long.

Kylian Mbappe's last appearance in the Champions League was a nightmare away at Liverpool.

But tonight he has just given Real Madrid the lead away at in-form Atalanta with one hell of a touch and finish.

A big, big goal for the reigning champions.

It's a matter of when not if Aston Villa are going to score again the way they are playing.

This time it's Youri Tielemans causing problems and he has a crack from just outside the area.

It's not his best though, and he drags his effort wide of the mark and simply looks to the sky in frustration.

I'm sure he'll get another chance soon.

Leipzig have barely had a kick so far, Aston Villa are in complete control.

The visitors have managed to kill all the enthusiasm from the crowd here, it's practically quiet now.

This is the best start they could have hoped for.

So close to a second!

Aston Villa are ripping Leipzig apart hear and Ollie Watkins is inches away from doubling their lead.

Lucas Digne arrows a lovely ball across goal which Watkins stretches to meet, but he just can't quite get the touch it needs on the ball.

If he had, that would have been a goal.

Emery has changed the system to 3-4-2-1 today and it’s paid off straightaway. Cash high and wide to provide the cross, McGinn there to find space and turn in Watkins’ knockdown.

Villa co-owner Nassef Sawiris was laughing and joking pitchside with Emery pre-match. He’ll be wearing an even broader smile now.

The Aston Villa fans in the corner are already having the time of their lives.

I have just seen a replay of their celebrations and many were holding pints, which you can't do in England.

I'm sure a fair few were spilled among the limbs.

Captain Fantastic delivers for Aston Villa!

John McGinn gives his side the perfect start after a little over 150 seconds and silences the Red Bull Arena.

Matty Cash clips a ball to the back post and Ollie Watkins nods the ball across the six-yard box for McGinn to finish.

A lovely move and it's just what Villa needed.

An early warning sign for Aston Villa...

The visitors know how much of a threat Benjamin Sesko is and they have already given him a chance to score inside 45 seconds.

The striker gets in behind but under pressure skews his shot high and wide.

That was far too easy, though.

The Leipzig fans really are well up for this one.

Flahs are being waved, scarves are being raised, and chants are being belted out very loudly. There is then a little roar as the ball starts rolling.

Let's hope these two teams deliver a belting match for us - I reckon they will do.

Thanks, Sonny!

It feels great to be getting in on the action just before it starts - I am so excited.

The Red Bull Arena is absolutely rocking as the two teams arise from the tunnel. It's a cauldron of noise.

To be fair to the Aston Villa fans, you can hear them in the away end, they are pretty damn loud.

What an evening this is set to be.

The build-up is all but finished, with just around five minutes until action gets underway at the Red Bull Arena.

The light show has just finished as the players take to the pitch.

And with that, it is time for our very own Harry Bamforth to take to this live blog. He will take you through all the action and reaction from this evening's late kick-offs.

Stay with him for all of that!

Liverpool were able to hold on to their 1-0 lead over Girona as they won their sixth Champions League group stage tie in a row. That has all-but cemented their place in the top eight and safe passage past the first knockout round.

For Celtic, their goalless draw with Dinamo Zagreb has moved them onto nine points and up to 17th in the league phase. With another couple of strong results they could secure their place in the knockout phase of the tournament.

Marco Rose RB Leipzig boss spoke about his club's recent form and the impact of their back-to-back wins.

On how the mood has improved following back-to-back wins

'Like always, if you win everything if fine but if you lose it's s**t. The mood is much better than the games before but we have to use it today.'

On their CL record compared to Bundesliga

'It's a new format and we have to adapt to it. We've faced really difficult teams and opponents. Even Celtic away it's hard to play. Juventus, Liverpool, unlucky in Madrid. We keep on going and fighting and trying our best.

Leipzig would love to be where Villa are in the Champions League table – but Villa could learn a lot from the way Leipzig handle the transfer market. Perhaps persuading Unai Emery to loosen his hold on the reins would be a good place to start.

Unai Emery was full of praise for French duo Boubacar Kamara and Lucas Digne in the build-up to this one. Kamara has always been a key man for Villa, even though his progress has been interrupted by injuries. Emery needs him to stay fit for a long stint now.

Digne has taken a different route. He was signed for £25m during the Steven Gerrard era and was not trusted initially by Emery. But he has seen off the challenges of Alex Moreno and Ian Maatsen, got back in the France squad and become one of Villa’s most important players.

It has been an entertaining match between Giron and Liverpool where the visitors now lead.

Both sides have had plenty of chances to score, but it has taken a Mohamed Salah penalty to put the Reds 1-0 up.

The hosts have threatened Alisson's goal on a number of occasions before going 1-0 down but have done little to turn the tide following conceding.

You can follow all that action right below.

RB Leipzig attacker Yousoff Pulsen was full of praise for team mate Benjamin Sesko ahead of their match against Aston Villa

'As a striker, he's the best I've played with. If you look at his abilities, he has everything a top number 9 needs. He's still young, he still needs to learn, not the technical things about being a striker but maybe more the finesse side.

'He has everything, strength shooting, technique, everything. I like working with him and I'm trying to get him there - he'll go on and score a lot of goals for us and some point go to the club he'll love to play for.'

You've seen the teams and with just over an hour until kick-off, we want to know how you're feeling.

Confident of a win Villa fans? Maybe Jhon Duran deserved a starting spot?

Leave your comments in the section to the right!

It’s hard to believe Leipzig, with the squad they have, have lost all five of their Champions League fixtures. Unless you’re a Villa fan, you’ll be disappointed not to see Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons in the starting XI, as he’s out with an ankle problem.

Unless Unai Emery switches to a back three tonight, it looks like Matty Cash could be starting on the right wing, with Ezri Konsa at right-back.

RB Leipzig XI: Gulacsi, Geetruida, Orban, Nusa, Haidara, Openda, Siewald, Baumgartner, Vermeren, Sesko, Heinrichs

Subs: Vandevoordt, Klostermann, Andre Silva, Sakar, Jatta, Kampl, Gebel.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Carlos, Konsa, Pau Torres, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers, Watkins

Subs: Olsen, Gauci, Nedeljkovic, Bogarde, Maatsen, Mings, Swinkels, Onana, Barkley, Buendia, Philogene, Duran.

Things have been quite difficult in recent weeks for RB Leipzig and their boss Marco Rose.

They have won just two of their last five outings, their 2-0 win over Holsten Kiel ending a run of four league games without a win.

Prior to that win they had conceded nine goals in two league games, losing 4-3 and 5-1 to Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg respectively.

But they will be hoping that their wins over Eintracht Frankfurt and Holsten Kiel has put them back on the right track.

They are sure to face a tough test today from the visit of Aston Villa who have been almost perfect in the Champions League so far

There are plenty of intriguing ties during tonight's 8pm kick-offs as the league phase of the Champions League enters the final few games.

• Atalanta vs Real Madrid
• Bayer Leverkusen vs Inter Milan
• Brest vs PSV
• Club Brugge vs Sporting Lisbon
• Red Bull Salzburg vs PSG
• RB Leipzig vs Aston Villa
• Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich

Hello and welcome!

Aston Villa dropped points for the first time during their Champions League campaign following a controversial draw with Juventus at Villa Park two weeks ago.

Unai Emery's side still control their destiny and look set for a place in the top eight to avoid the play-off round.

A win against an out-of-sorts RB Leipzig would go a long way to helping secure their passage.