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Two goals by Donyell Malen guided Aston Villa closer to direct qualification into the knockout stage of the European competition in a match overshadowed of fan disturbances by visiting supporters.

The Netherlands striker is exemplifying the team's improved squad depth, however this tenth victory in twelve matches was tainted by visiting fans destroying seats, throwing missiles at stewards and home team athletes, and clashing with police.

Beginning of the current season, no club has secured more continental matches at home (thirteen out of fifteen) than Unai Emery’s side. Emery looks a good bet to win this competition for a record fifth occasion.

Match Overview and Incident Particulars

Young Boys fans had contributed to the initially positive mood prior to Malen’s first goal. Their coordinated clapping, drumming, pogoing and chanting had helped give the early kick-off a sense of a continental occasion, yet the events after each of the first-half goals was unacceptable by all measures.

Under circumstances reminiscent of other disturbances with their fans in the past two years, the Young Boys ultras responded to Malen’s headed goal in the 27th minute by launching containers at the celebrating home team, with the scorer getting a facial injury.

Young Boys had been fined €28,250 by European football's governing body and ordered to pay City compensation for destroying stadium facilities in their Champions League visit in a previous season. They were also further penalized the prior campaign for the deployment of flares in their volatile Champions League visit.

Worsening of Unrest

However, the situation got worse after Malen doubled the lead three minutes before half-time. As the Dutch forward grinned doing a knee-slide in the general direction of the travelling fans, the fans reacted by tearing up chairs to throw alongside further projectiles and liquid at the growing numbers of police and stewards.

Clashes erupted with police while the visiting captain, team leader, went over to plead for peace from his club's fans. At least two trouble-makers were escorted away by police. Play experienced a lengthy delay before the match resumed and the period concluded.

Away supporters clash with authorities during a eventful first half.

Match Performance

It had at least been a highly positive half in sporting terms for Villa as they chased a seventh successive victory at their ground. The forward, who had a prompt influence when coming on during the break last weekend, was selected to play at centre-forward, one of seven changes to Emery’s starting lineup.

How he made the most of his opportunity, sharp and speedy for the duration in play. Marvin Keller had been forced to save his superb long-range effort in the fourth minute, and two teammates came close before the Dutchman nodded home a cross from a teammate. Villa were utterly controlling that multiple contributors were involved in the buildup.

The move for the second goal was slightly simpler but equally pleasing to watch. A teammate played a superb assist for Malen to take in his stride down the inside-left channel before he cut back inside a defender and smashed in his sixth strike of the season.

Aftermath and Finish

Maybe Malen should not have celebrated in the visiting supporters’ direction, but the crowd violence was utterly unjustifiable as it was extreme.

There was a subdued mood over the next half hour as the away supporters, almost to a man wearing dark attire, ceased their chants. A visiting attacker had a attempt stopped, and Rogers was correctly given offside when he set Malen up for a tap-in.

But as Villa rang the changes on the hour mark, allowing key individuals extra time ahead of the derby with Wolves, the away contingent resumed their noise. A taunting chant was the home crowd's retort.

When Young Boys eventually put the ball in the Villa net, Chris Bedia sidefooting in a delivery, there was a long VAR delay until the goal was disallowed for an offside in the buildup. The linesman on that side had shuffled up his line towards halfway and away from the away fans by the time the decision was given.

During added time, though, a substitute did crack home a consolation goal, after a diagonal pass, and on this occasion video review upheld Young Boys their brief jubilation.

After all the context to the previous European fixture at this venue, the team will head to Basel in December hoping for a calm trip and the three points that should safeguard their progress to the last 16 of the competition.