Aston Villa player ratings v Ajax – 8/10 Emiliano Martinez shines, Ezri Konsa in 3/10 nightmare
Aston Villa played out a tense goalless draw with Ajax in their Europa Conference League round of 16 first-leg clash.
The match finished 0-0 in Amsterdam on Thursday (7 March), with both clubs ending the match with 10 men.
Here, Villa News rates the travelling players out of 10 for their performances against the Netherlands outfit.
Emiliano Martinez – 8 (Man of the Match)
The goalkeeper was again very impressive between the sticks, clearing up at the back well as he was successful with all three of his runs out [Sofascore].
Lucas Digne – 5
The left-back did his best to get forward, but was often pegged back by the exciting Ajax attackers, with Digne making two clearances on the night.
Pau Torres – 6
The defender returned to action following a muscle injury, but lasted just 45 minutes in Amsterdam, where he won three of his four duels.
Clement Lenglet – 7
Lenglet produced another solid Aston Villa display on the road, with the defender keeping the ball expertly, registering an 88% pass success rate.
Ezri Konsa – 3
Konsa failed to win his only aerial duel (0%), while he saw red late on for a second yellow card, having struggled to deal with his opponents on many occasions.
Youri Tielemans – 5
A frustrating evening on the road for the summer arrival, who often struggled on the ball, while he won just two of his seven duels.
Douglas Luiz – 6
A somewhat quiet evening for the Villa Park star, who dropped below his usual high standards, with Luiz only able to register an 80% passing accuracy.
Tim Iroegbunam – 6
The youngster didn’t look out of place in Amsterdam, repaying the faith shown in him from Emery as he won his only aerial duel.
Moussa Diaby frustrated in Ajax v Aston Villa Europa Conference
Moussa Diaby – 6
The winger will be somewhat frustrated at his inconsistent attacking display, having lost possession of the ball on 10 occasions.
Morgan Rogers – 7
It was a very bright display from the recent recruit, with the young attacker completing four of his five attempted dribbles.
Ollie Watkins – 6
The lethal English striker linked up well with his fellow attackers, but was often starved of possession, with Watkins registering just 18 touches of the ball.
Substitutions
Matty Cash (on for Torres, 46′) – 5
Cash was under plenty of pressure from the moment he entered the pitch, with the right-back losing both of his aerial duels.
John McGinn (on for Diaby, 62′) – N/A
Leon Bailey (on for Rogers, 62′) – N/A
Nicolo Zaniolo (on for Iroegbunam, 73′) – N/A
Alex Moreno (on for Digne, 74′) – N/A
In other Aston Villa news, one player is now unsellable after a recent 97% display that left Manchester City star Jack Grealish wowed.
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