Aston Villa starlet to save season, Emery to be alarmed by senior squad failings
Ben Broggio showed a quality not many first-team Aston Villa players have in the UEFA Youth League against RB Leipzig.
The Young Lions secured a place in the knockout stage of the European competition with a dramatic 4-3 win against the German side on Tuesday (10 December).
Despite going ahead after five minutes through Bradley Burrowes, Josep Gombau’s side fell behind twice in the second half before Jamaldeen Jimoh grabbed a late equaliser.
Just minutes later, Mason Cotcher won a penalty which handed Broggio an opportunity to impress Unai Emery, which he duly did.
Ben Broggio shows quality in Aston Villa goal v RB Leipzig
The first team in B6 have typically struggled with penalties in recent years, failing to find a regular spot-kick taker who doesn’t miss.
Douglas Luiz was the chosen one last campaign, but missed one in the Conference League semi-final, summing up the Villans’ woes.
This issue has continued into this campaign after Youri Tielemans had an effort from 12 yards saved by Dean Henderson of Crystal Palace. The Belgian registered a zero per cent conversion rate before being switched for Ollie Watkins.
The England international missed one of his own against Liverpool in May 2023 which was his last attempt until this campaign. His record of 66.7 per cent conversion [Transfermarkt] just isn’t good enough, especially given how positive his open-play scoring record has been.
This duo are the only pair in the current squad to have taken Premier League penalties for the club, but this could soon change.
Emery may have a perfect option coming through the academy ranks in Broggio who scored in the 97th minute regardless of the pressure on the kick.
This is exactly what Villa need and appears to be missing in their squad right now which could see the 17-year-old pulled up to the first team at a quicker rate than maybe initially planned.
His general performance will have only helped his case after registering 45 touches and an 80 per cent pass accuracy against Leipzig [SofaScore]. This while completing a dribble and also contributing going backwards by winning six duels.
There is a lot to appreciate about the young winger and his ability to score penalties will only improve his senior team chances.
In other Aston Villa news, former Birmingham City star eyed as a £16m transfer update has been shared.
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.