🔗 Share this article

A brace by the Dutch striker propelled the home side toward automatic qualification into the knockout stage of the Europa League in a match overshadowed of fan disturbances from visiting supporters.

Dutch forward showcased Villa’s greater strength in depth, however this tenth victory in 12 games was tainted by away supporters ripping up seats, throwing missiles at stewards and home team athletes, and fighting with police.

Since the start of the current season, no club has secured more continental games at their own stadium (13 from 15) than the Villa squad. Emery looks a good bet to win this competition for a fifth time.

Match Overview and Disturbance Details

Young Boys supporters had helped dictate the early vibrant mood before the opening strike. Their orchestrated clapping, drumming, pogoing and chanting had helped give the early kick-off a feeling of a continental occasion, although what followed both early scores was inexcusable by all measures.

In scenes similar to past incidents with their fans in the recent past, the Young Boys ultras responded to Malen’s headed goal in the first half by launching containers at the jubilant home team, with the scorer getting a cut to the head.

Young Boys had been penalized a substantial sum by European football's governing body and ordered to pay City compensation for destroying stadium facilities in their European top-tier visit in a previous season. They were also fined about €18,000 last season for the deployment of flares in their volatile Champions League fixture.

Worsening of Unrest

But the trouble escalated following the second goal three minutes before half-time. As the Dutch forward grinned doing a knee-slide in the vicinity of the travelling fans, the fans reacted by tearing up seats to hurl alongside more plastic cups and fluids at the growing numbers of security personnel.

Clashes erupted with police even as the visiting captain, the Young Boys captain, approached to appeal for calm from his club's fans. At least two trouble-makers were removed by officers. There was a five-minute holdup before the match resumed and the period concluded.

Young Boys fans confront police and stewards during a eventful first half.

Match Performance

It had at least been a very satisfactory period on the field for Villa as they chased a seventh successive victory at their ground. Malen, who made such an immediate impact when coming on as a half-time substitute in a previous match, was selected to lead the attack, among seven changes to the team sheet.

How he made the most of his chance, sharp and speedy for the duration in play. The opposition keeper had been forced to save his brilliant long-range effort in the early stages, and both other players nearly scored prior to the Dutchman nodded home a cross from midfield. Villa were so dominant that eight players were involved in the buildup.

The play for the next score was slightly simpler but no less aesthetically pleasing. A teammate played a superb through pass for the striker to collect effortlessly down the inside-left channel before he cut back inside a defender and smashed in his sixth strike of the campaign.

Aftermath and Finish

Maybe Malen should not have celebrated in the away fans' area, but the supporter misconduct was utterly unjustifiable as it was extreme.

A quieter atmosphere in the subsequent period as the away supporters, almost to a man dressed in black, refrained from singing. Jadon Sancho had a shot saved, and a Villa player was rightly flagged when he set Malen up for a tap-in.

When the hosts rang the changes on the sixty-minute point, offering key individuals additional rest before the derby with Wolves, the away contingent sprang back into voice. “We forgot that you were here,” was the home crowd's retort.

When Young Boys did first get the ball in the goal, Chris Bedia sidefooting in a cross, there was a long VAR delay before the goal was disallowed for an offside in the preceding action. The linesman on that side had shuffled up his line towards halfway and away from the away fans by the time the verdict was announced.

In stoppage time, though, a substitute scored a consolation goal, after a cross-field ball, and on this occasion VAR could not deny Young Boys their brief jubilation.

Following the political backdrop to the last Europa League game at this venue, Villa will travel to Switzerland next month hoping for a peaceful visit and the three points that should safeguard their passage into the next round of the competition.