Aston Villa 2-0 Maccabi Tel Aviv: Maatsen and Malen goals settle Europa League contest

Goals from Ian Maatsen and Donyell Malen helped Aston Villa to their third win in four Europa League games as they beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-0.

Villa suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat to Go Ahead Eagles in their previous European game two weeks ago, but Unai Emery's men bounced back in relative comfort at Villa Park.

Morgan Rogers and Malen both worked Roi Mishpati in the Maccabi goal, before the visitors fired a warning shot when Dor Peretz forced Emiliano Martinez into a close-range save.

Villa then struck in the first minute of first-half stoppage time as Jadon Sancho and Rogers linked up to release Maatsen, who fired an angled finish in off the underside of the crossbar.

Peretz and Malen went close at either end in the early stages of the second half, before Villa doubled their lead just prior to the hour mark.

Elad Madmon toppled home captain Ezri Konsa inside the penalty area, and Malen kept his composure to slot into the bottom-left corner from 12 yards out.

Villa had chances to further extend their lead in the latter stages as Mishpati parried Malen's effort from a tight angle and pushed John McGinn's right-wing delivery against Ollie Watkins and behind, but they ultimately did not need a third goal.

Data Debrief: Emery celebrates anniversary with victory

Villa's victory lifts them to sixth in the 36-team Europa League standings, already five points clear of the cut-off for at least a play-off place.

Thursday's game was played three years to the day after Emery's first game in charge of Villa, and he has now won 13 of his 15 home European games (including qualifiers, one draw, one defeat) at the helm.

They have won all five such matches in 2025, with three victories in the Champions League last season and a 1-0 triumph over Bologna earlier this season. 

They accumulated 1.98 expected goals (xG) to Maccabi's 1.02, firing off 13 shots to the visitors' six.