sport news Ajax 0-0 Aston Villa: Conference League clash ends goalless in Amsterdam as ... trends now
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Jordan Henderson kept alive his chances of adding a ninth major trophy to his collection with an impressive display as his Ajax side held 10-man Aston Villa.
Though Villa will be favourites to progress to the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League after the second leg in Birmingham next week, Henderson showed all his experience of European competition to drive this young side on.
Constantly encouraging and marshalling his colleagues, Henderson showed his still has the mettle to cut it at this level and did his chances of retaining his spot in the England squad this month no harm at all. But Villa boss Unai Emery will also be satisfied with the result, if not the performance.
With one eye on Sunday’s huge Premier League clash with Tottenham, Emery held back Leon Bailey and John McGinn until midway through the second half, with both certain starters against Spurs. Villa defender Ezri Konsa was sent off along with Ajax’s Tristan Gooijer as referee Enea Jorgji had a poor game.
This team does not have the class of some Ajax sides of the past but in the first half they had the measure of Villa.
Moussa Diaby had a weak shot saved comfortably in the fifth minute and that was as good as it got for Emery’s men before the break, as Ajax contained them with relative ease.
Had the home side’s attackers timed their runs better, they could have caused Villa more problems at the other
