The Premier League side took the lead early in the St. Jakob-Park encounter when summer signing Evann Guessand pounced on a loose ball in the box to fire Villa ahead after just 12 minutes.
Basel responded well and levelled shortly before half-time when Flavius Daniliuc flicked Xherdan Shaqiri’s free-kick past the Villa goalkeeper, setting up an intriguing second half.
Emery’s tactical switch at half-time proved decisive. Youri Tielemans, introduced for Matty Cash, took just eight minutes to make an immediate impact, curling a composed effort into the bottom corner to restore Villa’s lead.
The result keeps Villa firmly in control of their Europa League group, level on points with Lyon and Midtjylland, while Basel remain on six points with two matches left in the league phase.
Despite Basel’s strong home record — which included seven straight Europa League wins at St. Jakob-Park — Villa became the first side to beat the Swiss club there in the competition since 2015, ending a 10-game unbeaten run.
Emery praises character and rotation
Unai Emery was positive about his side’s performance in a competitive fixture that followed Villa’s dramatic Premier League win over Arsenal at the weekend.
He highlighted his squad’s determination and adaptability after rotating several key players.
With two games remaining in the group stage, Villa’s strong run of results has positioned them well to secure automatic progression to the knockout rounds.
