Aston Villa are heading for the Europa League final in Istanbul midweek, which can be a sign of fortune for Villa.
Aston Villa at last managed to accomplish their mission to seal their Champions League spot yesterday. They dismantled their direct rival, Liverpool, 4-2. Such a result not only marks the impressive result in their last home game of the season but also keeps their positive mentality ahead of the Europa League final.
Such a triumphant result is a solid proof of their resilience. It also definitely boosts Unai Emery’s confidence as they now focus on Istanbul. That is where the Europa League final is staged on May 20. There has been a unique fact about Istanbul, which might even raise their possibility of succeeding there. So, what are such unusual facts? Let’s find out below.
Istanbul has been widely known as the land of fortune for English football. It has been proved how English clubs have benefited from the selection of Turkish capital as the host of continental competition finals, not just once but several times!
It all started in the 2005 Champions League final. The clash between AC Milan and Liverpool was always remembered as one of the dramatic finals in European football history. It was held in Ataturk Olympic Stadium.
How The Reds managed to bounce back after losing 3-0 before the interval to their eventual, stunning 3-2 victory on penalties is still beyond hard to believe. Steven Gerrard and Co. were able to put them back on level terms in just six minutes before turning the table and lifting their coveted trophy, showing how lady luck took the side of the English teams.
Then in the 2023 UCL final edition, once again, the English club enjoyed the fortune of Istanbul. It was again staged in the same venue as the 2005 edition. Surprisingly, it was also the encounter between the English team versus the Milan side. This time it was the clash of Manchester City v Inter Milan.
Pep Guardiola’s men were in chase of their treble-winner ambition but lacked tradition, something which has been considered ‘necessary’ to win the Champions League. Inter Milan, on the contrary, were on their peak form with Simone Inzaghi at the helm of the team.
Some say only Munich Magic could ‘help’ the team to win their first UCL trophy, as it happened in 1979, 1993, 1997, 2012 and most recently 2025. Yet, many had forgotten that the 2023 final edition was supposed to be held in Munich before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. It was like two fortunes combined in one.
Such an appearance seemed to bring its own luck for The Citizens as they finally lifted their first-ever Champions League title. If one looked a bit closer, it was rather obvious how Lady Luck once again was on the English side.
How Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku contributed to Manchester City’s glory as he blocked Federico Di Marco’s goal-bound header by accident and missed the clear chance to score. It would have been different had he not done such a thing.
Last but not least, the 2019 UEFA Super Cup final was in Vodafone Park, or currently known as Tupras Stadium, which hosts this year’s Europa League final. It was the duel of all-English teams as Liverpool and Chelsea squared off in that one-off game. Thus, with history on the English side, Aston Villa should have a bigger opportunity to win there, no matter how ridiculous it may sound.
The only time when the Istanbul final did not include any English teams was the 2009 UEFA Cup final. It was the unexpected meeting in the summit between Werder Bremen and Shakhtar Donetsk. The former was the favourite with a more well-known name in the squad with the likes of young Mesut Özil, Per Mertesacker, Diego Cunha, and the prolific Peruvian forward, Claudio Pizarro.
Nevertheless, it was the latter who clinched the trophy, marking the first Ukrainian side to win the continental trophy. Mircea Lucescu’s Shakhtar Donetsk thumped the German outfit 2-1. It was a historic victory for Shakhtar, albeit with their Brazilian-dominated squad, yet a devastating one for Bremen, as it was their last time to reach their continental final to date.
Does it mean Istanbul is not friendly for German clubs? Would it also happen to SC Freiburg, which advanced to their first ever European final in the club’s history? Only time will tell but it may indicate something. Viva Villa!!
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