Aston Villa Continue Their European Dream as Unai Emery’s Europa League Magic Turns Them Into Clear Favourites
When Maccabi Tel Aviv arrived in Birmingham for a politically charged match that the government was clumsily and incompetently wading into, it was never going to be an easy evening.
The government seemed to think that this was the first and only time away fans had been prohibited from attending a football game.
There was nothing Aston Villa could do about it other than take care of business on the pitch, and this was the kind of game you’re going to get in any successful run at Europe’s second championship.
Not very attractive, almost completely unmemorable, but with a very satisfying outcome and enough genuinely encouraging moments to make you feel better about prospects after the game.
There are many of them advantages. Prior to a hectic time, Youri Tielemans’ injury comeback off the substitutes’ bench with a delightfully eye-catching cameo was high on that list.
There’s never anything wrong with a clean sheet, and although Emi Martinez had to get his hands muddy a few times, nobody was shocked.
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However, he showed no signs that his most recent Yet Another Rare Mistake against Liverpool had damaged his unwavering confidence.
After a clumsy and halting first-half Villa performance, Ian Maatsen’s goal was a clear standout.
It was a beautiful, crisp, and, given what had come before, unorthodox play that ended with a physics-bending finish off the crossbar from an apparently impossible angle.
Even the second goal, which came from a lightly awarded penalty after Ezri Konsa stumbled as much as his opponent, was noteworthy. It was Villa’s third penalty of the year, their first goal, and their third different taker.
Donyell Malen found the bottom corner with little difficulty, accomplishing what Ollie Watkins and Emi Buendia had failed to do with something approaching aplomb.
Maccabi will regret the wasted opportunities at 0-0 and 1-0, but once Villa grabbed control, they didn’t seem likely to give it up.
They finished the game comfortably and even managed to save some energy for the more difficult tasks that lay ahead.
Once more, there is a lot to be said for surviving these Thursday nights in this manner at this time of year, even though it may not be the stuff to excite the loins.
Overall, it felt very much like a more seasoned European team than Villa is finishing the job. If Villa were feeling avaricious, they might have wanted a goal for Ollie Watkins just to tick another box.
Naturally, the presence of Europa League specialist Unai Emery on the bench helps to offset Villa’s potential lack of European expertise.
After a difficult start to the season, he has Villa well-positioned both domestically and internationally. No manager is more adept at navigating this competition.
It is not surprising nor coincidental that Villa’s season started to change with the beginning of the Europa League campaign. Villa is unavoidably under pressure in this tournament.
The fact that two objectively more foolish English sides advanced to the final last year only serves to emphasise this fantastic chance to put an end to a ridiculous trophy drought.
Villa’s victory, their third in four in this competition, puts them in the crucial top eight, where Man United and Spurs were able to minimise their burden the previous season.
The fact that the only teams above Villa in the halfway-stage league table are now Midtjylland, Freiburg, Ferencvaros, Celta Vigo, and Braga is a clear indication of how good a chance this is.
Even though Villa may not have the luxury those two had last year of being able to simply sack off the Premier League by February. Let’s see if they can use this same energy to secure a good position in the premier league table.
