Aston Villa cruised to a 3-0 win over Young Boys – and even had room to see two goals ruled out – as they crowned their Champions League debut with a fine victory.
After taking their time to adapt to their Swiss hosts’ plastic pitch, Villa settled after Youri Tielemans’ training-ground move to drill home a back-post cross from a Lucas Digne corner just before the half-hour.
Farcical defending soon put them in full control as Mohamed Camara attempted a pass-back to his goalkeeper David Von Ballmoos from a few yards out – which proved a calamitous decision.
Watkins pounced on the ball before he was caught by the home keeper, and with a number of players stopping and awaiting a potential penalty, Jacob Ramsey instead played on and rolled the ball into the empty net.
It could have been three before the break when Watkins, who had already missed a presentable chance, rifled in a rebound when his initial shot had been blocked, only for a harsh VAR review to judge he had handled the ball in the build-up.
It was more of an open-and-shut case as the same fate befell a stunning strike from substitute Jhon Duran with 11 minutes to go.
The Colombian’s 20-yard first-time effort was inch perfect to find the bottom corner, but a clear hand ball from Amadou Onana several passes before saw him denied.
There was no stopping the Belgian himself minutes later, however.
The summer signing matched his goal tally from the whole of last season as he leathered in his third since his move from Everton into the same corner to seal a thumping victory in Bern, as Aston Villa ended their 41-year absence from the European Cup in some style.
The only black mark for Villa may prove the fitness of Watkins, who was pictured with his heel on an ice pack shortly after he made way for Duran on the hour mark.
