Game #3479
Aston Villa
Wednesday, 1 March 1978


Drew
Quarter Final
Last 5: 🟥 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟨
UEFA Cup
Barcelona
Villa Park
Attendance: 49,619
🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park
Aston Villa
2-2

FC Barcelona

Assist(s) | Gordon Smith | 85' | Allan Evans | 88' |
🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park


MATCH TIMELINE
Wednesday, 1 March 1978
🟢 | 1’ Debut, David Evans
🥅 | 20’ Goal, 1-0, (Barcelona), John Cruyff
🕒 | HT Aston Villa 0-1 Barcelona
🔁 | 61’ Sub off, David Evans, Sub on, Allan Evans 🟢
🥅 | 78’ Goal, 2-0, (Barcelona), Zuviria
⚽ | 85’ Goal, 2-1, Ken McNaught, Assist by Gordon Smith
⚽ | 88’ Goal, 2-2, John Deehan, Assist by Allan Evans
🕒 | FT Aston Villa 2-2 Barcelona
Match Statistics
Not recorded
Goal ⚽, Assist 🔥, Goal Conceded 🥅, Injury 🚑, Booking 🟨, Sending off 🟥, Comment 🗒️, ❗ Villa Chance,❗❗Huge Villa Chance, 💥 Opposition action, 🎥 VAR, 🆘 Referee error, ❌ Missed pen, disallowed goal, player retires from field of play, 🟢 Debut, 🔴 Final appearance, 🕒 Half time, Full time, 🔁 Substitution
🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park

ON THIS DAY
Wednesday, 1 March 1978
Barcelona, for all their talent, body check and foul their way to a two goal lead but their rugged tactics backfire as Villa hit two goals in the last five minutes to draw the tie and Barcelona’s bleating and deeply hypocritical appeals for a foul on the ‘keeper for John Deehan’s equaliser are rightly met with short shrift from the referee.
Villa face Barcelona for the first time in competitive football, Barcelona become the 115th team that the Villa first team has played in League or Cup football, Villa’s fifth continental European opponents and their second from Spain having played Athletic Bilbao earlier in the season.
Ron Saunders' Villa score two late goals to draw the UEFA Cup quarter final first leg against Barcelona ahead of a tough return match at the Camp Nou.
Meanwhile, Saunders hands debuts to defender David Evans, 19, who joined from West Bromwich Schools in July 1974 and centre back Allan Evans, 21, after his move from Dunfermline Athletic for a fee of £30,000 in May 1977.
🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park

DEBUT APPEARANCES
🟢 CB David Evans | 🏴 | #593 | Youth team promotion
🟢 CB Allan Evans | 🏴 | #594 | £594,000 signing from Dunfermline
FINAL APPEARANCES
None
Seasons | 🕒 Games | ✅ Starts (🔁 Subs) | ⚽ Goals | 🔥 Assists | 🇺 Unused | Player Number |
Aston Villa
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1976-77
Barcelona


La Liga Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆
Copa del Rey Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1978-79
🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park
FIXTURE DETAILS


Season | 1977-78 |
Matchday | #38 |
Manager Game | #197 |
Wednesday, 1 March 1978
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🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park
MATCH SUMMARY


Manager: Ron Saunders | 🏴 | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: César Correia | 🇵🇹 | São Brás de Alportel, 1973-1981 🆘
HT Score: 🟥 0-1
FT Result: 🟨 Drew
FT Score: 🟨 2-2
Last 5: 🟥 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟨
MANAGERIAL RECORD

Ron Saunders | 🏴 | 1974-1982
🕒 197 | 🟩 | 93 🟨 | 50 🟥 54 | 1.67
Villa Career Form:
Top 6
Games 🕒, Won 🟩, Drew 🟨, Lost 🟥, Points per Game
🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: César Correia | 🇵🇹 | São Brás de Alportel, 1973-1981
Matches Officiated: 1
🟩 : 0
🟨 : 1
🟥 : 0
🆘 : 1
🆘 Barcelona's win at all costs attitude saw no clamp down on the body checks and trips throughout the game.
Previous 5: None
Last Match: None
Cards: None
VAR PROFILE (from 2021)
CARDS

None
CARDS

None
Won 🟩, Drew 🟨, Lost 🟥, Notably poor performance 🆘, Cards 🟨 Booking, Cards 🟥 Sending off, Disallowed ❌ Goal disallowed, ⚽ Penalty for, 🥅 Penalty against, ❌ Penalty Disallowed
🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park

TEAM NEWS
TEAM STATS
Ron Saunders hands a surprise debut to David Evans and recalls John Gregory with John Gidman and Tommy Craig dropping out.
Starting XI Average Age
| 24.35 |
Oldest Player |
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 🏴 | 30.07 |
Youngest Player |
M Gordon Cowans | 🏴 | 19.36 |
🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park
MANAGER
Ron Saunders | 🏴 | 1974-1982

Aston Villa
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 🏴 |
D David Evans | 🏴 | 🟢 |
CB Ken McNaught | 🏴 | ⚽ |
FB Gordon Smith | 🏴 | 🔥 |
M John Gregory | 🏴 |
M Leighton Phillips | 🏴 |
M Gordon Cowans | 🏴 |
M Dennis Mortimer | 🏴 |
W Frank Carrodus | 🏴 |
F Brian Little | 🏴 |
F John Deehan | 🏴 | ⚽ |
MANAGER
Rinus Michels | 🇳🇱 |

Barcelona
GK Pello Artola | 🇪🇸 |
RB Pepito Ramos | 🇪🇸 |
CB Migueli | 🇪🇸 |
CB Antonio Olmo | 🇪🇸 |
RB Toño de la Cruz | 🇪🇸 |
M Johan Cruyff | 🇳🇱 | ⚽ | 🔁 |
M Quique Costas | 🇪🇸 | 🔁 |
M Juan Manuel Asensi | 🇪🇸 |
W Carles Rexach | 🇪🇸 |
W Rafael Zuviría | 🇦🇷 | ⚽ |
W Paco Fortes | 🇪🇸 |
🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park
SUBSTITUTES

🔁 | CB Allan Evans | 🏴 | 🟢 | 🔥 | for D David Evans | 🏴 | 61' |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | M Johan Cruyff | 🇳🇱 | (M José Macizo | 🇪🇸 |)
🔁 | M Quique Costas | 🇪🇸 | (CB Juanjo Enríquez | 🇪🇸 |)

🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

GK Jake Findlay | 🏴 |
CB Charlie Young | 🏴 |
LB Mick Buttress | 🏴 |
M Ivor Linton | 🏴 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

Not Recorded
Player Positions:
GK : Goalkeeper
CB, D, B : Centre Back, Defender, Back
FB, LB, RB, WH : Full Back, Left Back, Right Back, Wing Back, Wing Half
M, CH, LH, RH : Midfielder, Centre Half, Left Half, Right Half
W, OL, OR : Winger, Outside Left, Outside Right
F, IF, IL, IR : Forward, Inside Forward, Inside Left, Inside Right, Second Striker, False 9
CF : Centre Forward
Match Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park

MATCHDAY SQUAD BIOGRAPHIES
STARTING XI
SUBSTITUTES
Player | 🕒 | 🔁 | ⚽ | 🔥 | 🟩 | 🟨 | 🟥 | 🥅 | ⛔ | Yellow | Red |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CB Allan Evans | 🏴 | | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
UNUSED
Player | 🇺 |
---|---|
GK Jake Findlay | 🏴 | | 3 |
Games 🕒, Starts ✅, Substitute 🔁, Goals ⚽, Assists 🔥, Won 🟩, Drew 🟨, Lost 🟥, Conceded 🥅, Clean Sheets ⛔, Unused Substitute 🇺
🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park
SQUAD STATS

1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 16/16
SQUAD STATS

1st XI:
Home Nation 🇪🇸 : 9/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🇪🇸 : 11/13
🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park
MATCHDAY SQUAD

MATCHDAY SQUAD

🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park
UNAVAILABLE

Injury | 4 |
FB John Robson | 🏴 |
M Alex Cropley | 🏴 |
CF Andy Gray | 🏴 |
RB John Gidman | 🏴 |
UNAVAILABLE

Not Recorded
LEAGUE TABLE


MATCHDAY PROGRAMME



🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park


MATCH QUOTES
🟨 1 Mar 1978, Villa 2-2 Barcelona, Villa Park


MATCH REPORTS
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. With thanks to Reach PLC. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved. Source: British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)









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