Pre-season is the time for experimentation, and Unai Emery can be pleased with the way one of his Aston Villa players showcased another string to his bow in New Jersey.
In truth, plus points were few and far between.
After that 4-1 humbling by Columbus Crew a few days earlier – former Watford striker Cucho Hernandez putting Aston Villa to the sword with a lethal first-half hat-trick – unforced errors were the order of the day yet again for the Midland giants.
Ross Barkley, back at Villa for a second spell, lost possession on the edge of his own penalty area as Andre Silva gave RB Leipzig the easiest of first half leads overnight.
Lois Openda then doubled the advantage before Diego Carlos marred the occasion with the most needless of red cards.
On a more positive note, Carlos’ dismissal opened the door for big-money summer signing Amadou Onana to show that he can offer more to this Villa squad than an extra body in midfield.
Unai Emery hails Aston Villa newbie Amadou Onana
The £50 million acquisition was one of the few stand-outs during a difficult first-half alongside Barkley in the centre of the park.
He then dropped into the backline after Carlos headed for an early bath, Emery full of praise for the way Onana stepped up in an unfamiliar role during a very one-sided second 45.
“Onana is progressively getting better,” the former Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain boss told the official Aston Villa website. “He’s playing trying to quickly understand our tactical idea and he played some minutes at centre-back.”
Emery was keen to point out, however, that Onana lining up at centre-half is not something Villa fans can expect to see much of going forward.
“Of course, he is a player for us to play as a midfielder,” adds the Spaniard, denied the services of Ezri Konsa due to his involvement in England’s Euro 2024 campaign. “But (Onana) is competitive and his adaptation is going really well.”
On a testing night for the Champions League-bound Villains, the performances of Onana and fellow newbie Samuel Iling-Junior – who joined from Juventus alongside Enzo Barrenechea – at least gave those of a claret and blue persuasion something to smile about.
Unai Emery pleased with Villa progress
“We are in pre-season and practicing with the team and progressively getting better,” Emery argues, dismissing any concerns about Villa’s stuttering displays.
There were also welcome returns off the bench for the long-term absentees Emi Buendia and Kacob Ramsey.
“Today was a match against an opponent of the level we will face in the season. It was a test,” adds Emery. “In the first half, I think we were good, even (despite) losing 2-0 due to two mistakes. One goal was a clear offside.
“We are trying to contest with ourselves some tactical work and after the red card it was a completely different match.
“The idea after it was to get the work we did with players like Jacob Ramsey and Emi Buendia taking minutes.”
Villa still have three friendlies remaining before opening their Premier League campaign against West Ham United on August 17th.
Emery’s side are due to take on Club America, Athletic Bilbao and Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund.
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