Robbie Savage gobsmacked by ‘unbelievable’ Youri Tielemans footage in Aston Villa vs Young Boys
Robbie Savage was left astonished by Youri Tielemans during Aston Villa’s dramatic 2-1 win over Young Boys on Thursday.
Donyell Malen opened the scoring with a header from Tielemans’ cross and doubled his tally after striking a fierce shot past goalkeeper Marvin Keller.
Joel Monteiro scored a fantastic consolation goal for the Swiss side, but Aston Villa ultimately dominated Young Boys from start to finish.
Villa are favourites to win the Europa League, and the result currently leaves them second in the table with 12 points from five games.
The win over Young Boys marked Tielemans’ first Europa League start for Unai Emery this season, and it’s fair to say that Savage couldn’t get over his quality.
Robbie Savage raves about Youri Tielemans’ passing
Tielemans had been out with a calf injury after coming off in Villa’s 0-0 draw to Everton, missing a total of 10 games in all competitions before finally making his return against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The 28-year-old possesses quality on the ball that is irreplaceable in the midfield, and his inclusion in the starting line-up was a huge bonus against Young Boys.
In the seventh minute, Tielemans received the ball from deep inside his half, before playing a defence-splitting pass that sent Evann Guessand in on goal.
Speaking live on TNT Sports 2 on commentary, Savage was stunned by the Belgium international’s distribution from midfield despite the missed opportunity.
He said: “That first touch from Tielemans, to take the ball away. Then the run and the pass are unbelievable, what a pass that is. What a pass from Tielemans.”
| Stat | Tielemans |
| Minutes played | 60 |
| Pass accuracy | 91% |
| Assists | 1 |
| Accurate long balls | 2/2 |
| Touches | 58 |
His cross for Malen’s goal was phenomenal, and he controlled the tempo of the game with ease throughout the 90 minutes.
Tielemans has been an incredible signing for Villa since joining from Leicester in 2023, and has now appeared in 106 matches under Emery.
Tielemans has already proven his worth in cup competitions, winning the FA Cup with Leicester in 2021 and playing a big part in helping Aston Villa get to the Champions League quarter-finals in 2025.
Tielemans’ return ahead of the busy festive period is fantastic for the Villans, who still have eight games to play in 2025.
Youri Tielemans can spearhead Aston Villa’s Europa League charge
Having already secured wins over Bologna and Feyenoord, Villa are showing intent to win the Europa League under Emery.
Emery is a specialist in this competition, winning the trophy four times with Sevilla and Villarreal.
Tielemans’ presence in the squad is vital to how Villa build up play from defence, and with games coming every three days at the moment, it’s imperative that he maintains his fitness ahead of an intense month of football.
His composure on the ball will be crucial in the knockout rounds, and he is certainly someone who can lead Villa towards securing a famous trophy.
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