Aston Villa will look to return to winning ways in the UEFA Europa League tonight as they face Maccabi Tel Aviv at Villa Park.
Unai Emery’s side began their European campaign strongly with two wins, but their momentum was halted after a 2-1 defeat to Go Ahead Eagles in the Netherlands. Villa currently sit tenth in the group table with six points from a possible nine as they reach the halfway point of the league phase.
Maccabi Tel Aviv, meanwhile, are still searching for their first win of the competition. The Israeli champions drew their opening match against PAOK but suffered back-to-back defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and FC Midtjylland, losing 3-0 in their most recent outing.
Despite their struggles in Europe, Maccabi have been impressive in their domestic league, remaining unbeaten as they chase a third straight league title.
Villa forward Evann Guessand has been one of the team’s standout performers, ranking among the most active players in the competition’s penalty area and scoring in the last group match.
Under Unai Emery, Villa have been strong at home in European competitions, winning 12 of their 14 matches at Villa Park, including all four played this year.
This evening’s match marks the first-ever meeting between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv — and Villa’s first encounter with an Israeli club in European competition.