Aston Villa Europa League final was driven by Tielemans and Buendía

Aston Villa's 3-0 Europa League final win over SC Freiburg was decided by the players who produced the best individual nights. Youri Tielemans posted the highest rating on the pitch at 8.5, Emiliano Buendía followed with 8.3, and both had direct involvement in the goals that settled the final.

Tielemans opened the scoring in the 41st minute, finishing after Morgan Rogers supplied the assist. Buendía then struck in first-half stoppage time, in the 45+3rd minute, from John McGinn's pass. Rogers wrapped it up in the 58th minute, this time from Buendía, and Villa never gave Freiburg a route back into the game.

How Villa's attacking players separated the final

The ratings tell the story cleanly. Tielemans' 8.5 was the best mark on the field, and it came with the opening goal. Buendía's 8.3 paired a goal with an assist, which is the sort of output that wins finals when the game is still live.

Rogers was next on Villa's sheet at 7.6, and McGinn followed at 7.3 after helping set up Buendía. Emiliano Martínez finished on 7.0 with two saves, enough to keep Villa comfortable while the attackers did the heavy lifting.

There was also a wider European pattern behind the final. Tielemans averaged 7.39 across the 2025 Europa League campaign, higher than his Premier League 7.2, while Buendía's 7.1 in the competition sat above his Premier League 6.79. Rogers was on 7.05 in Europe, ahead of his Premier League 6.84. On this evidence, Villa's best work in the competition came from the players who lifted their level most often on European nights.

Emery's fifth Europa League title and Villa's wider night

The result also gave Unai Emery his fifth Europa League title, with previous wins described as three with Sevilla and one with Villarreal. Ashley Young's praise framed it bluntly: “Emery is a winner. He is a born winner, especially in this competition when he has shown it time and time and time again.”

The atmosphere around the win had its own angle. Prince William posted his congratulations after the final, calling it “44 years since the last taste of European silverware” and singling out injured midfielder Boubacar Kamara as an integral part of the team who helped lay the foundations for success. John McGinn had joked before the game, “Hopefully Prince William is paying for the free bar!”

Villa's night in Istanbul belonged first to Tielemans and Buendía, and the record books will also carry Emery's fifth title. The next question is simple enough, whether Villa can carry this level back into domestic and European competition next season.