It was a strange atmosphere in a half-full Red Bull Arena and Aston Villa just couldn’t seem to get going in their 2-0 defeat to RB Leipzig.
The German team scored their first goal in the 17th minute with a goal from Portuguese striker André Silva, which injured goalkeeper Robin Olsen.
A second goal for Die Roten Bullen from Loïs Openda led to a moment of madness from Villa defender Diego Carlos, who was sent off.
It is the second loss in a row for the Villains, following their humiliating 4-1 defeat to Columbus Crew a few days ago.
DailyMail.com tells you five things we learned from Aston Villa’s loss to RB Leipzig in New Jersey.
Aston Villa were in trouble with RB Leipzig as they trailed for most of the match
Concerns about Robin Olsen after injury
The Swedish goalkeeper came in for some criticism when he conceded the first goal of the match, but it wasn’t entirely his fault.
Ross Barkley was picked out in goal by Amadou Haidara on his own turf, with the Leipzig midfielder then firing the ball to André Silva, who opened the scoring.
But Haidara collided with Olsen, after which the goalkeeper lay on the ground for a few minutes before he could continue.
He only lasted eleven minutes before he was on the ground and the coaches were called to help him off the field, where he was replaced by Oliwier Zych.
After the match, manager Unai Emery said he expects Olsen to be able to play again “in a few days”.
Robin Olsen left the match early for Aston Villa after sustaining an injury in the first half
Tempers flared on a warm evening due to a lack of composure from Diego Carlos
Leipzig continued to search for a second goal and finally found it in the 41st minute through the boot of Loïs Openda.
After a low cross from El-Chadaille Bitshiabu, Openda got a boot, but it was saved by Zych. The rebound fell again for Openda who tapped it in.
Openda then said something to central defender Diego Carlos, who promptly punched the Frenchman in the chest, causing him to fall to the ground.
A row ensued, with Carlos being sent off after being shown a red card in what was seen as poor judgement, forcing Villa to play down a player for the rest of the match.
Diego Carlos (3) was shown a red card and punched Loïs Openda (11) after the Leipziger had scored a goal
Amadou Onana’s physical prowess will be a nightmare for Aston Villa’s opponents
Amadou Onana arrived at Villa Park with big shoes to fill following the departure of Douglas Luiz, taking on the role of holding midfielder on Wednesday night and proving his reported $64.6 million transfer fee.
Concerns about his passing ability proved unfounded as he unerringly shut down his teammates with strong vision and execution.
Moreover, his height and strength regularly prevented the German club from creating attacking chances.
When Onana was sent into central defence to replace the sent-off Carlos, he seemed to be in his element, winning physical battles with Leipzig’s forwards to create chances.
Amadou Onana could be Aston Villa’s summer signing with his strength and poise
Leipzig look set for a strong Champions League run
Last season, Die Roten Bullen finished second in a group with Manchester City, but were quickly knocked out after a loss to eventual winners Real Madrid in the round of 16.
But the current composition of the squad suggests they could reach the knockout stages again, barring a draw in the ‘group of death’.
Openda will be a dominant force up front for the Red Bulls, as will striker Benjamin Sesko. The midfield will feature a strong game and Xavi Simons could play there again.
It looked like the pressure of the schedule was starting to get to the team, as they finished fourth in the Bundesliga and were knocked out in the second round of the DFB-Pokal.
But the depth of the squad looks set for the task ahead, and they will test themselves further with a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers in Miami on Saturday.
RB Leipzig look set for success in the upcoming 2024-25 season across three competitions
Strange surroundings lead to a calm start to Leipzig’s first international tour
The pitch for this match was clearly worn out, having been used the night before in a Leagues Cup match between New York Red Bulls and Mexican side Pachuca.
Because the games were so close together, attendance was low – not unusual at this venue. But considering this game involved two teams who will be playing in Champions League football next season, it was a little worrying.
Last year, a large crowd turned out to see Brighton & Hove Albion play Newcastle United. The same could not be said of this match. Perhaps people were more enthralled by the prospects of Arsenal-Manchester United, which was being played just around the corner in Philadelphia.
Regardless, it was less well received than other matches with European competition. What made it worse was that the arena was largely silent for most of the match, apart from a few moments of excitement.
It could simply be representative of the fact that Aston Villa are only the 12th most popular Premier League team in America, according to Statista. It could also be because RB Leipzig are on their first international tour and need to make their name known.
But the occasionally sleepy crowd struggled to get any energy going. The group of about 50 fans who had come from East Germany tried to make some noise, but couldn’t keep it up on a mostly quiet night in New Jersey.