🔗 Share this article

Two goals from the Dutch striker guided Aston Villa closer to direct qualification for the last 16 of the Europa League in a match overshadowed of crowd violence by visiting supporters.

The Netherlands striker showcased the team's greater strength in depth, but this tenth victory in 12 games was marred by visiting fans destroying seats, hurling objects at security and home team athletes, and fighting with officers.

Beginning of the 2023-24 season, no club has won more European matches at home (13 from 15) than Unai Emery’s side. The Villa manager looks a good bet to claim the trophy for a record fifth occasion.

Match Overview and Disturbance Particulars

Young Boys supporters had helped dictate the early vibrant atmosphere before Malen’s first goal. Their coordinated chants, drumbeats, and synchronized movements lent the early kick-off a feeling of a European night, yet what followed each of the first-half goals was unacceptable by all measures.

Under circumstances reminiscent of other disturbances involving their supporters in the past two years, the Young Boys ultras responded to the first goal in the first half by throwing containers at the celebrating Villa players, with the scorer suffering a facial injury.

Young Boys had been fined a substantial sum by European football's governing body and instructed to pay City compensation for damaging seats and toilet blocks in their European top-tier visit in a previous season. Additionally, they were further penalized the prior campaign for the deployment of flares in their heated Champions League fixture.

Escalation of Unrest

However, the situation got worse following Malen doubled the lead moments prior to the break. As the Dutch forward smiled on doing a knee-slide in the vicinity of the away supporters, the fans reacted by ripping out seats to throw alongside further projectiles and liquid at the increased presence of security personnel.

Fighting broke out with police while Loris Benito, the Young Boys captain, went over to plead for peace from his team’s supporters. No fewer than two disruptors were removed by police. Play experienced a five-minute holdup before the match resumed and the period concluded.

Young Boys fans clash with authorities during a eventful first half.

Match Display

It had at least been a very satisfactory half in sporting terms for the hosts as they pursued a seventh successive victory at their ground. Malen, who made such an immediate impact when substituted as a half-time substitute in a previous match, was chosen to play at centre-forward, one of seven changes to the team sheet.

How he made the most of his opportunity, incisive and pacy for the duration in play. Marvin Keller had had to tip over his brilliant 25-yard shot in the early stages, and two other players nearly scored before Malen headed in the delivery from midfield. Villa were utterly controlling that eight players were part of the move.

The move for the second goal was slightly simpler but no less aesthetically pleasing. A teammate played a superb assist for Malen to collect effortlessly through the channel before he cut back inside his marker and smashed in his sixth goal of the season.

Aftermath and Finish

Maybe the scorer ought to have avoided celebrating in the away fans' area, but the crowd violence was utterly unjustifiable as it was severe.

There was a subdued mood in the subsequent period as the Young Boys fans, almost to a man wearing dark attire, refrained from singing. Jadon Sancho had a attempt stopped, and a Villa player was correctly given offside when providing an assist for a simple finish.

When Villa made substitutions on the hour mark, allowing four of their main players extra time ahead of the derby with Wolves, the visiting fans resumed their noise. “We forgot that you were here,” was the home crowd's retort.

As the visitors eventually put the ball in the Villa net, a forward sidefooting in a delivery, there was a long VAR delay before the goal was disallowed for an offside in the buildup. The assistant referee 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, however, a substitute scored a consolation goal, after a cross-field ball, and on this occasion video review upheld the visitors their brief jubilation.

After all the context to the previous European fixture at this venue, Villa will travel to Switzerland in December hoping for a calm trip and the three points that should safeguard their passage into the last 16 of the competition.