RB Leipzig 2-3 Aston Villa: Ross Barkley proves the difference in visitors’ helter-skelter Champions League win

Unai Emery‘s career has been shaped by a relentless appetite for improvement that few can match.

Win, lose or draw, Emery is straight on his laptop after every game, analysing every detail.

A four-time winner of the Europa League, Emery believes Villa can go far in the Champions League this season and is setting more ambitious goals for his team.

His standards are so high that even after a result that pushes Villa closer to the top-eight finish that would seal automatic qualification for the last 16, he will know they must do better.

Before substitute Ross Barkley‘s deflected shot earned Villa their third-straight win in all competitions, after a run of eight matches without one, Emery’s men had been the authors of their own downfall – and not for the first time in this season’s Champions League.

First it was Tyrone Mings picking up the ball inside his own penalty area against Club Brugge and allowing the Belgians to score the only goal of the game.

The second-half substitute scored with five minutes of normal time to play in Germany

Unai Emery’s men saw out the chaotic win but it could have been much worse for the visitors

And in Leipzig, two moments of dire work at the back nearly stopped Villa taking three points from a game they controlled virtually from start to finish.

Despite goals in either half from John McGinn and substitute Jhon Duran – a half-time replacement for the injured Ollie Watkins – Villa almost had to settle for a draw as their sloppiness allowed Lois Openda and Christoph Baumgartner to equalise twice and come close to earning Leipzig their first point of this campaign.

It could have been even worse for Villa. In the closing minutes, Pau Torres gave the ball straight to Openda only for the Leipzig forward to shoot too close to Emi Martinez. But then came Barkley’s strike to earn Villa their third straight victory in all competitions.

It is worth recalling that Villa have conceded only three goals in their six European games – all a result of their own foolishness. Who knows how far they might go in this competition if only they can sharpen up a little.

‘At the beginning we were attempting to be protagonists,’ said Emery. ‘Now we are virtually certain to finish in the top 24, maybe even the top 16. Maybe now we have the chance to be in the top eight. ‘We play Monaco and Celtic in our final two games and we will be motivated. Our target now is higher than the one we had when we started in this competition.’

There was no place in the line-up for Duran, even though he scored the only goal against Southampton last Saturday. Watkins was restored in the No 9 position with McGinn and Morgan Rogers operating just behind him, as Emery switched to a back three.

It took less than three minutes for Villa’s plan to pay off. Offering extra width on the right, Matty Cash’s cross found Watkins at the far post. McGinn managed to outmuscle Nicolas Seiwald to latch on the knockdown and guide home from eight yards.

Leipzig were flat and uninspired – which made it all the more frustrating that Villa went in level at half-time. It was a simple ball over the top from Seiwald that – somehow – neither Ezri Konsa nor Diego Carlos nor Emi Martinez managed to cut out. In raced Openda to touch the ball past Martinez and slide in the equaliser.

John McGinn opened the scoring in double-quick time to hand Villa the upper hand on Tuesday

But a major howler from Emi Martinez saw the score levelled just before the 30-minute mark

The Argentine goalkeeper will be glad that his team-mates spared his blushes in Leipzig

Lois Openda pounced on a long ball from deep in his half to outsmart Martinez for the opener

Christoph Baumgartner (pictured right) then helped catch Villa ahead in the second-half 

Jhon Duran (pictured left) proved a smart swap for the injured Ollie Watkins after the break

On a pessimistic note, the England goalscorer went down in the second-half and did not return

Watkins’ injury gave Duran his chance and the Colombian might have scored instantly had he shown a little more composure from 20 yards.

Villa were finding space in that area regularly but failed to make it count. Boubacar Kamara was the next to try with a low effort that did not trouble Peter Gulacsi. No wonder Emery put his head in his hands.

Luckily for the Villa boss, he has a player capable of the unexpected. Duran collected a pass from Youri Tielemans, drove away from Arthur Vermeeren and inside Willi Orban before despatching it over Gulacsi from 25 yards. Perhaps Gulacsi’s positioning should have been better but it was still a fabulous piece of skill.

By now Villa were looking dangerous every time they broke. Rogers was the latest to miss from the edge of the box and Duran thought he had his second just before the hour mark when he converted Cash’s low cross only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside.

How Villa would curse that call. Another long ball, this time from Benjamin Henrichs, found the back line hesitating and allowed Openda to scurry into space. This time the Belgian crossed and Baumgartner produced a fabulous volley across Martinez to level the match again. Openda should have scored the third when Pau Torres gave away the ball but fired straight at Martinez. Moments later, Barkley took aim from 25 yards and the ricochet off Lukas Klostermann left Gulacsi helpless.