New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) Aston Villa secured a place in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 with a game to spare after a 1-0 victory over Fenerbahce.

Jadon Sancho’s first goal in Villa colours was enough to tie up all three points for Unai Emery’s men on Matchday Seven, as he headed Matty Cash’s cross home on 25 minutes.

Villa almost doubled their advantage shortly after the hour, Cash’s long-range effort smacking the upright. The hosts stepped up their efforts to level the contest, with Marco Bizot forced into a number of saves, the pick of them denying substitute Talisca.

The win, coupled with results elsewhere, means that only a maximum of five teams can now overtake the second-placed Villans in the league phase table, ensuring the lowest they can mathematically finish is seventh.

A top eight spot sends Emery’s charges straight through to the round of 16, skipping the last 32 play-off round, which will be contested in February.

It is the second season running that the Villans have secured a top eight finish in European competition and progressed straight through to the last 16, after finishing eighth in last season’s Champions League table before eventually reaching the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere, level on points coming into Matchday 7, Roma edged out Stuttgart at the Stadio Olimpico thanks to Niccolò Pisilli’s goals late in each half.

In a high-energy game Stuttgart came closest first through Jamie Leweling, before Roma youth product Pisilli struck after a defence-splitting pass from Matias Soule, UEFA reports.

Deniz Undav was unable to convert the best of Stuttgart’s opportunities in the second half before Pisilli made sure of the result in added time. The result ensures both teams will at least contest the knockout phase play-offs.

In another action, Ryan Yates scored an own goal less than a minute after Morgan Gibbs-White missed a penalty for Nottingham Forest as Braga secured a vital win in Portugal.

Chances were few and far between in the first half, but the game came to life with Gibbs-White’s missed spot kick followed by Yates inadvertently turning the ball into his own net less than 60 seconds later.

Ola Aina’s powerful long-range strike rattled the bar before Pau Victor struck the post for the hosts and Elliot Anderson was dismissed late on for Forest.

–IANS

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