Rapid Wien 1-0 Aston Villa: Jelavic Gives Austrians First-Leg Lead

Bosnian-born striker Nikica Jelavic's strike inside the opening minute was enough to grant Peter Pacult's men a healthy lead at the half-way stage in this Europa League play-off, despite Aston Villa's attempts to nick a vital away goal toward the game's death.

Prior to kick-off, Villans boss Martin O'Neill had warned his side about the perils of facing Rapid Wien. They played aesthetically-pleasing and attractive football. They had good pedigree. They had even beaten Liverpool during pre-season.

The key to the 90 minutes on Thursday evening, the Ulsterman claimed, would be to "shake off the cobwebs as quickly as possible and get into some sort of fluency". It is with a great sense of irony, then, that it was Pacult's XI who turned this ethos into a reality, and broke the deadlock in the opening 20 seconds.

Christopher Drazan, deployed in central midfield, whipped in a cross that the Aston Villa defence failed to clear, and the predatory Jelavic was granted a free-header that he duly took advantage of - much to the dismay of stand-in glovesman Brad Guzan.

It was to be the game's only goal, but that is not to say there were no chances.

Villa, who had been cursing the layoff of John Carew - who had travelled but was not fit to play - had five men stationed in midfield. And Ashley Young, who had began last season in such tremendous form, attempted to impose his game onto Rapid with his trademark crosses from wide, but they were admirably dealt with by the well-positioned Markus Katzer.

Captain Steffen Hoffman began to display the leadership credentials that are befitting of the armband as he drove his team forth and tried to force the second goal, but Guzan got a strong clasp to an oncoming strike ten minutes before the break.

Villa's best chance of the first half arrived via Emile Heskey, often lauded for his physical frame and hold-up play, but not often noted for his finishing ability, and the England international witnessed a low shot drag past the marker.

The introduction of pacey forward Gabriel Agbonlahor changed the dynamic of Villa's flow, and almost bore fruit, as the academy product attracted fouls but the normally well-trained Midlanders were unable to fashion anything of note from set-play.

Twenty minutes before time, and Drazan again was testing the Villa rearguard, but Guzan - like the opening 45 minutes - was equal to his efforts.

Villa's few attempts at the vital away goal were lacking, and Rapid Wien put themselves in a commanding lead going into the concluding tie at Villa Park.

Line-Ups

Rapid Wien - Payer, Patocka, Dober, Katzer, Jovanovic, Heikkinen, Hoffmann, Drazan, Konrad, Pehlivan, Jelavic.

Subs - Hedl, Thonhofer, Kulovits, Eder, Soma, Boskovic, Trimmel.

Aston Villa - Guzan, Shorey, Davies, Cuellar, Beye, Ashley Young, Sidwell, Reo-Coker, Gardner, Milner, Heskey.

Subs - Friedel, Agbonlahor, Albrighton, Delfouneso, Delph, Petrov, Lowry.

Alan Dawson, Goal.com

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