Rapid Vienna 1 Aston Villa 0 - full time report
Europa League: Rapid Vienna 1 Aston Villa 0
Nikica Jelavic scored inside the first minute as Aston Villa were beaten by Rapid Vienna in the first leg of their Europa League qualifier.
Jelavic headed home just seconds after kick-off at the Gerhard Hanappi Stadium to secure a victory the Austrian side deserved for their dominance in the rest of the game.
Christopher Drazan was a constant threat for Rapid and had one good shot cleared off the line by Curtis Davies while Brad Guzan saved another.
Villa's best moments came in the second half but Davies headed over from one clear-cut opportunity and the visitors failed to seriously test opposing goalkeeper Helge Payer.
Guzan was given a rare start in the Villa goal in one of four changes made by manager Martin O'Neill following last weekend's defeat by Wigan.
But the first job of the American, replacing his rested compatriot Brad Friedel, was to pick the ball out of the net after Rapid made the perfect start.
Only seconds had gone when the ball was worked out to the dangerous Drazan on the left and he whipped in a curling cross for Jelavic to head home.
Villa responded with Craig Gardner firing over while an Ashley Young cross was unconventionally punched clear by Payer. James Milner was one of Villa's livelier players but he also saw a cross dealt with by Payer.
Rapid continued to look dangerous in possession and Drazan broke clear down the left again only to deliver a poor ball into the box.
Stefan Hoffmann also tested Guzan with a long-range shot but the keeper was equal to the task. Hoffmann then felt he was impeded by Steve Sidwell on the edge of the box but the referee was not interested.
