HŠK Zrinjski 1-1 Aston Villa

Aston Villa secured top spot in Group E with a draw against HŠK Zrinjski in Mostar in the Europa Conference League.

The visitors made all the running but failed to breakthrough in a goalless first half before the match sprung to life after the restart.

Nicolò Zaniolo scored his first goal for the club, turning home John McGinn’s cross after 61 minutes.

The Bosnian champions showed greater attacking intent after falling behind and levelled the scores when Matija Malekinusic arrowed a shot into the top corner with three minutes to play.

The result confirmed Villa as group winners and ensured passage to the Round of 16 on a night that saw Filip Marschall and Tommi O’Reilly make their senior debuts for the club.

Marschall was handed his Aston Villa debut from the off as one of eight changes to the starting XI to face the Bosnians, and the 20-year-old had little to do in the opening stages as the visitors immediately began controlling the tempo and dominating possession.

Zaniolo blazed an early effort over the bar and Matty Cash drove a shot into the ‘keeper’s arms but Zrinjski were displaying the defensive qualities that kept Villa at bay for 94 minutes in the reverse fixture.  

Most of the visitors’ attacks involved Italian international Zaniolo, who delivered a low cross which Jhon Durán flicked straight at Marko Maric.

The winger, cutting in from the right-hand side, twice took aim from long-range, calling Maric into saves on both occasions, in the closing minutes of a goalless first half.

The second half began as the first had finished: Villa in complete control but struggling to penetrate the hosts’ defences.

However, that all changed minutes after the introduction of captain McGinn, who created the opening goal with a typically industrious piece of play.

The Scot held off and rolled a defender before swinging in a cross to the middle of the box, where Zaniolo took the ball under control with a tremendous touch before slotting it past Maric.

Zrinjski had rarely forayed into Villa’s half of the pitch but they spurned a glorious chance to level the scores in the 71^st minute.

A deep free-kick was swung into the box, where the waiting Josip Corluka volleyed the ball high over Marschall’s bar.

Another superb opportunity presented itself to the full-back minutes later when the ball fell to him at the back post, but he sliced his effort wide of the goal.

Douglas Luiz was denied a trademark goal direct from a corner due to a foul on the goalkeeper as the game ticked into the final ten minutes before Marschall saw a flurry of action.

After coming out to clear a ball, the young stopper sent his clearance against Calum Chambers and watched on as the Zrinjski attacker was narrowly unable to turn a bouncing ball into the net.

Marschall was then faced with a one-on-one, diving decisively at the feet of Antonio Ivancic to thwart the attacker.

He could do nothing about Zrinjski’s equaliser after 87 minutes, grasping thin air with his dive as Malekinusic cut in from the left and arrowed a shot into the top corner.

But the goal made no difference to the outcome of Group E, with Villa confirming their status as group winners.