Ian Maatsen broke the deadlock just before half-time with a fantastic run and finish, while Donyell Malen converted from the penalty spot after the break to make the three points safe.
It was a largely uninspiring performance from Villa and the visitors did have their opportunities to get into the game, but fortunately we were able to keep a clean sheet, secure the win and boost our chances of automatically qualifying for the knockout phase as we bounced back after suffering defeat to Go Ahead Eagles in our last European outing.
Villa host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday, and it’s hoped that our midweek victory will be a boost for all concerned to put another winning run together heading into the festive period.
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### Aston Villa player ratings vs Maccabi Tel Aviv:
**Emiliano Martinez, 7.5 –** Sloppy in possession at one stage which risked giving the visitors a chance to get back into the game, but he made a couple of smart saves to deny them and preserve his clean sheet.
**Victor Lindelof, 7 –** Looked a little awkward going forward having been deployed in the right-back position, but he put in a steady defensive shift as he may well be asked to take on a more prominent role in the coming weeks.
**Ezri Konsa, 8 –** Another stellar display from the captain on the night, as he was classy in possession and his positional and tactical awareness ensured he was there to snuff out danger time and time again.
**Pau Torres, 7 –** Solid alongside Konsa and was important at times in our push to play through the middle. It was a smart move from Unai Emery to replace him in the second half as he’ll have a heavy workload ahead with Tyrone Mings sidelined by injury.
**Ian Maatsen, 8 –** Superb run and finish for his goal, and that was a critical moment in the game just before half-time as we looked short of creativity and ideas up to that point. That in turn opened the game up and allowed us to extend our lead, but it was another decisive example of what the Dutchman can give us in the final third as well as with his defensive qualities.
**Amadou Onana, 7.5 –** An important presence in the middle of the pitch, as he controlled tempo and possession for us while shielding the backline without the ball. Showing consistency and quality with this run in the starting line-up.
**Lamare Bogarde, 8 –** A very impressive shift from the talented youngster. Looked composed with the ball, albeit perhaps still playing it a little too safe at times, but he was a big defensive presence in midfield before showing his versatility when moved to right-back in the latter stages.
**Evann Guessand, 6 –** Struggling to provide us with a decisive influence in the attacking third on that right wing. Shows good intent when picking up the ball, but it’s that next phase where he doesn’t look like much of a threat. Emery clearly trusts him to do an important job in the side though, and hopefully the goal contributions will come.
**Morgan Rogers, 6.5 –** Showed glimpses with his driving runs forward from deeper areas and touch to link things together, but wasn’t able to influence the game with a decisive impact as Villa struggled to show enough quality in attacking areas.
**Jadon Sancho, 6.5 –** Similarly to Rogers, there were moments where Sancho threatened to potentially prise the visitors open with his trickery and quality on the ball, but it wasn’t quite enough to help make a more prominent impression on the encounter.
**Donyell Malen, 8 –** Excellent finish from the penalty spot to double our lead, and his movement off the ball was top class again, albeit he’ll be disappointed he couldn’t find a finish to match it to add to his tally on the night. Looked a threat for us up top.
### Substitutes:
**Boubacar Kamara, 6.5 –** Showed composure and class in the latter stages to help us see out the win.
**Ollie Watkins, 6 –** Didn’t have much to feed off, but looked a little off the pace coming off the bench as it was hoped he could grab an all-important goal to get him going.
**John McGinn, 6 –** 300 Villa appearances up for the skipper, and it rounded off a great few days for him after signing his new contract.
**Youri Tielemans, 7 –** So good to see him back. Showed his class immediately with a wonderful pass over the top as well as a silky drop of the shoulder to evade pressure and play up the pitch, and it’s so important to have the Belgian midfield metronome back available.
**Emiliano Buendia, 6 –** Continued to probe after coming on to make it more comfortable. Great to have him back from injury too and it would have been a valuable run out just to get back up to speed.