Aston Villa star looked like a £100m player

Aston Villa are into a European final since 1982, when Peter Withe struck true in Rotterdam and Bayern Munich were beaten 1-0.

This time, John McGinn and Ollie Watkins and Emi Buendia ran rampant against a Nottingham Forest side with European pedigree of their own. Unlike Villa, though, Forest wilted and withered, unable to deal with the hurtling speed and vicious intensity of the hosts.

The Tricky Trees were outfought and outthought. Villa wanted it badly, and now they are into the Europa League final, with Unai Emery looking to extend his record haul of four Europa League titles (3x Sevilla; 1x Villarreal).

So much of football nowadays is marred by controversy, contentious VAR calls and any number of roadblocks that did not exist years ago. There could be no argument over who deserved to leap into Leipzig on this night, with Villa breathtaking from start to finish.

How Aston Villa blew Forest away

As Prince William, the heir apparent to the British throne, cheered from the stands, Aston Villa put their Premier League rivals to the sword, moving within 90 minutes of silverware to crown this incredible adventure in Emery’s system.

McGinn was the driving force, scoring an emphatic second-half brace to seal Villa’s win, but also putting in a tireless shift. The skipper did not stop running, proving himself capable of rising to the occasion on the grandest stage.

The Scotland international is not just a top midfielder, he is Mr. Aston Villa, probably the defining superstar of recent years, welcomed from Hibernian for a paltry sum and grown into something special.

He has been a fixed part of this Lions side as they have journeyed over the years, resettling in the Premier League after the dark days in the Championship and now on the cusp of glory.

McGinn led the charge, and the likes of Buendia and Watkins thrived too, but there was another star who maybe isn’t drawing as many plaudits as he should after a spectacular showing.

Aston Villa man looked like a £100m player

Aston Villa outclassed Nottingham Forest under the European lights. Against so-called superstars like Elliot Anderson, it wasn’t just McGinn who rose to the occasion, but Youri Tielemans too.

Tielemans, 29, has played 130 times for Aston Villa after joining the club from Leicester City on a free transfer, but that might just have been the best of the lot for the Belgium international.

There’s no question that he left a lot to be desired as Aston Villa were steamrolled by Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at the weekend, but this was evidence that class is permanent, with Tielemans thriving alongside an unnatural midfield partner.

He was crisp and resourceful, ambitious on the ball. McGinn has taken the cake and rightly so, but Tielemans thrived in his deeper midfield role, diligent and determined to connect the dots.

Anderson was not poor by any stretch, but he certainly didn’t offer anything that Tielemans and co failed to provide on the European stage. Tielemans controlled play superbly alongside Victor Lindelof, who was masterfully placed at number six to nullify the Forest attacks and overload Vitor Pereira’s 4-2-2 press.

Anderson is one of the most sought-after midfielders in England, but against McGinn, Tielemans and Lindelof, in his unnatural role, the £100m-rated talent was overwhelmed.

Tielemans is approaching veteran status in Emery’s Villa squad, but there can be no question over his ability to throw down his younger top talents.

He shone at Villa Park, producing an all-encompassing midfield display that helped his side into a European final. One stride left to take.