Aston Villa marked a strong return to winning ways in Europe with a 2-0 triumph over Maccabi Tel Aviv on UEFA Europa League matchday four a fitting way for Unai Emery to celebrate both his 54th birthday and three-year anniversary at the club, Softfootball reports.
The result was also the perfect response after their 2-0 loss to Liverpool over the weekend, as the Villans extended their impressive home record in European competitions to 13 wins from their last 15 outings.
The build-up to the clash was overshadowed by the decision to ban Maccabi supporters from Villa Park, leaving empty patches in the stands and a muted atmosphere. The opening exchanges reflected that energy, with few clear chances at either end. Donyell Malen’s deflected strike that flew narrowly wide midway through the half offered the first glimpse of quality, before Maccabi’s Osher Davida nearly stunned the hosts with a ricocheted effort that crept just past Emiliano Martínez’s post.
Villa struggled to break through the Israeli defence until winger Morgan Rogers decided to take matters into his own hands, weaving past three defenders before being denied by Roei Mashpati. The visitors responded swiftly, with Roy Revivo cutting the ball back for Dor Peretz, whose close-range shot was brilliantly stopped by Martínez.
That moment proved pivotal as Villa took the lead in first-half stoppage time. Rogers was again the instigator, finding Ian Maatsen in the box, and the Dutchman’s thunderous strike went in off the underside of the bar to make it 1-0.
Maccabi came out stronger in the second half and nearly drew level through Peretz, but Martínez pulled off another fine save. Their hopes were dashed minutes later when Elad Madmon tripped Ezri Konsa in the box, gifting Villa a penalty that Malen confidently converted to double the advantage.
The forward nearly added another when he raced through on goal but was denied by Mashpati’s fingertips. With the game under control, Emery rotated his squad to protect key players ahead of their weekend Premier League clash with Bournemouth.
After the game, Aston Villa via its official X handle confirmed that the team has now gone 8 European games unbeaten at Villa park further solidify their strong record at home. They posted:
It was a composed, professional showing — exactly what Emery would have wanted on such a milestone week. The victory reinforced Villa’s growing European confidence under the Spaniard, who continues to make history in continental competitions. For Maccabi Tel Aviv, however, it was another frustrating night in a campaign that has offered more questions than answers.
