Aston Villa ace John McGinn heralded after what happened on Scotland duty
Aston Villa star John McGinn caused a stir with his performance in Scotland’s win over Greece on Thursday.
The Tartan Army are looking to keep their spot in League A of UEFA’s Nations League and hold a 1-0 advantage heading into the second leg of the playoff after a Scott McTominay penalty on 20 March.
Steve Clarke’s side were under heavy pressure in the second half but held on to their lead to secure a favourable position.
Scotland will retain their place in the elite tier if they can avoid defeat at Hampden Park on Sunday (23 March).
Scotland star McGinn earns plaudits after Greece victory
McGinn is absolutely crucial for Aston Villa and it appears that he has brought his club form onto the national stage.
The Villa star kept things ticking over in Clarke’s midfield and hardly put a foot wrong in the victory, although he was involved in a controversial incident with Kostas Tsimikas.
The Scotsman rated McGinn an eight out of 10 in the contest, saying that he: “Was dragged a little deeper than he would have liked at times, but still managed to create opportunities for his team, even if his midfield colleagues took the headlines.”
The Scottish Sun gave the Villans ace a rating of seven out of 10, saying: “Usual bustling display from the Scotland midfielder and was at the heart of many attacks.”
The Daily Mail also praised the 30-year-old, saying: “Strong and busy, coming in off the right. Interchanged nicely with McTominay. Teed up chances for team-mates.”
Meanwhile, the Edinburgh News added: “The ex-Hibs star worked his socks off and dug in. Leads by example in the middle of the park.”
McGinn needs to bring Scotland form back to Aston Villa
Villa face crucial encounters in the Premier League and in Europe when McGinn returns from international duty.
Unai Emery’s side need a huge push to cement a second successive Champions League berth as they are four points off the top four and need several teams to come unstuck in the final stages of the season.
| Premier League | Played | GD | Points |
| 4. Chelsea | 29 | +16 | 49 |
| 5. Man City | 29 | +15 | 48 |
| 6. Newcastle | 29 | +9 | 47 |
| 7. Brighton | 29 | +6 | 47 |
| 8. Fulham | 29 | +5 | 45 |
| 9. Aston Villa | 29 | -4 | 45 |
Another route would be winning this year’s edition but they face a tough test against a Paris Saint-Germain side that knocked out Premier League leaders Liverpool.
McGinn will be absolutely vital to Villa’s chances of achieving their goals this season as his no-nonsense, high-energy approach gives others more freedom to be creative.
If the Scotland star is fit and firing, the rest of his teammates will benefit and the Villans may cause a few shocks as the campaign grinds towards a climax.