Aston Villa battled to a hard-fought win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in a tense Europa League encounter overshadowed by off-pitch unrest and pre-match protests.
Goals from Ian Maatsen and Donyell Malen secured Unai Emery’s side a 2–0 victory at Villa Park, though the evening was anything but straightforward. The match took place behind closed doors for visiting supporters, after authorities barred Maccabi fans amid heightened security concerns linked to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.
Maccabi manager Zarko Lazetic revealed his team had been advised to arrive at the stadium five hours before kick-off under police instruction. Outside, demonstrations from both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli groups led to six arrests, with more than 700 officers deployed to maintain order.
On the field, Villa’s display was far from convincing. They laboured through long spells as Maccabi created the better chances early on—Osher Davida’s deflected strike went narrowly wide, and Dor Peretz was twice denied by goalkeeper Emi Martínez.
Maatsen finally broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time, squeezing in a shot from a tight angle to give Villa a slender lead. Martínez was again called into action after the break, before Malen made it 2–0 from the penalty spot—a controversial decision given that defender Ezri Konsa appeared to trip over his own feet.
Despite the win, Emery admitted his frustration with the team’s performance. “I’m not completely happy,” he said. “We didn’t play brilliantly, but we played seriously and passionately. The most important thing was getting the three points. We conceded more chances than expected, but overall we controlled the match.”
Lazetic, meanwhile, was critical of the penalty call but proud of his side’s effort.“It looked like nothing,” he said. “The margin was small and went their way. But we showed who we are.”
The result moves Villa to sixth in the Europa League league-phase table after four games, giving them the response Emery demanded following last month’s defeat at Go Ahead Eagles.
