Europa League: Villa, Roma, Braga secure crucial wins

Aston Villa sealed their place in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 with a game to spare after edging Fenerbahce 1-0 on Matchday Seven. Jadon Sancho scored his first goal for Villa, heading in Matty Cash’s cross in the 25th minute. Villa nearly doubled their lead when Cash’s long-range strike hit the upright, while goalkeeper Marco Bizot produced key saves to deny the hosts, including a close-range effort from substitute Talisca.
The victory, combined with other results, ensures Villa cannot finish lower than seventh in the league phase table. With a guaranteed top-eight spot, Unai Emery’s side bypasses the last 32 play-off round and advances directly to the round of 16. This marks the second consecutive season Villa have achieved a top-eight finish in European competition, having reached the Champions League quarter-finals last year.
Elsewhere, Roma earned a vital 2-0 win over Stuttgart at the Stadio Olimpico. Niccolò Pisilli, a Roma youth product, scored late in both halves, first after a defence-splitting pass from Matias Soule and then in added time to secure the result. Stuttgart had chances through Jamie Leweling and Deniz Undav but failed to convert. The outcome ensures both sides will at least contest the knockout phase play-offs.
In Portugal, Braga claimed a crucial victory over Nottingham Forest in dramatic fashion. The match turned when Morgan Gibbs-White missed a penalty, and within a minute Ryan Yates scored an own goal to hand Braga the lead. The second half saw near misses, with Ola Aina striking the bar and Pau Victor hitting the post for Braga. Forest’s Elliot Anderson was sent off late, compounding their defeat.