Rapid Vienna 1 Aston Villa 0 - full time report
Nicky Shorey created another opportunity for Villa when he beat three men to get in a cross but Rapid cleared and Emile Heskey headed wide from a Milner cross just before the interval.
Villa made an encouraging start to the second half and the introduction of Gabriel Agbonlahor for Gardner added pace but still the visitors struggled to test Payer.
Young's curling free-kick was tipped away for a corner by Payer but replays showed it would have dipped over anyway. Shorey was given a shooting chance from the resulting corner but fired into the side-netting.
Young created Villa's best opportunity with a brilliant turn and cross just after the hour but Davies was unable to keep his header down.
Milner and Young then combined at a free-kick but the winger's shot was just off target.
Despite Villa's increased urgency, Rapid were still a threat and the visitors were almost caught twice by Drazan in a matter of moments with 20 minutes remaining.
Drazan first showed great control on the edge of the area before testing Guzan with a ferocious shot.
Substitute Christopher Trimmel then weaved his way into the area past Shorey and Yasin Pehlivan set up Drazan but Davies cleared off the line.
Villa finished strongly but Milner could not make the most of Young's cross and Sidwell shot straight at Payer.
Rapid Vienna (4-4-2): Payer; Dober, Jovanovic, Patocka, Katzer; Hoffmann, Heikkinen, Pehlivan, Drazan (Boskovic 83); Jelavic, Konrad (Trimmel, 62). Substitutes: Hedl, Eder, Kulovits, Soma, Thonhofer.
Aston Villa (4-5-1): Guzan; Beye, Cuellar, Davies (Lowry, 81), Shorey; Milner, Reo-Coker, Sidwell, Gardner (Agbonlahor, 55), A Young; Heskey. Substitutes: Friedel, Albrighton, Delfouneso, Delph, Petrov
