2025-26 European Tournaments

[Ed H in Pasadena]

What a performance for Aston Villa! What a performance by my favorite Villan, Emi Buendia. And they get: Freiburg, a 4-3 winner on aggregate vs Braga.

 

[Ed H in Pasadena]

Oh, and Palace best Shakhtar 5-2 on aggregate to reach the Conference League final. They will play Rayo Vallecano, 2-0 winners on aggregate vs Strasbourg.

So it's three English finalists in the three European competitions

 

[jeffbear]

Good for Palace. I can unabashedly root for them.

 

[VinatieriDefinesClutch]

And I, as a Rayo Vallecano super fan, will be on the other side of this!


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrp4ZiDk8IE

 

[Ed H in Pasadena]

Final from Istanbul
Aston Villa 3-0 Freiburg

Aston Villa are your 2025-26 Europa League champions! Congrats guys! Really happy for you

 

[jeffbear]

VILLA!!!! Dominating win. Beautiful performances from Buendia, Tielimans, Tores, Rodgers and McGinn. Sharp set piece work. Just Aston Villa football. First trophy since I was a senior in high school … ahem … 1982.

 

[VinatieriDefinesClutch]

I joined the Boston Lions club for the first time for this game and it was spectacular. I'm a bit drunk and on cloud nine! Unreal!!!!

 

[andyt]

Emery’s 5th European trophy, the most ever. He went back to back to back with Sevilla from 2013-16, Villarreal in 2020-21 and Villa this year.

 

[jeffbear]

The man loves a villa. That much cannot be denied.

 

[Ed H in Pasadena]

A 50th minute goal by J. P. Mateta, converting a rebound off a blistering shot by Adam Wharton, was the only goal in the Conference League final. What a 12 months for Palace, winning the FA Cup in May of last year and now adding a European trophy to their brand new trophy cabinet.

 

[jeffbear]

Yeah, I’m sure they’re not thrilled to be languishing down at 15th in the English table but that’s a shiny consolation prize

 

[VinatieriDefinesClutch]

And PSG are back to back champions and despite being owned by a nation state, everyone is happy, because they didn't start time wasting five minutes into the match like Arsenal did. The ref blowing for time while Arsenal were taking their sweet ass time to take the corner before half after having just wasted a minute right before that before taking a throw in followed by the immediate yellow for time wasting to start the second half were the highlights of the match for me.

 

[jeffbear]

I largely continue to not give a crap who ends up winning Champions League.

 

[Ed H in Pasadena]

Felt bad for Gabriel, who was otherwise immense for the Gunners. Just gotta wonder why none of the others available (Madueke, Zubimendi, even Timber) didn't step forward to handle the business? Disappointed in them, too.