Arrests and ‘death to IDF chants’ mar Aston Villa’s win over Maccabi Tel Aviv

Yet those quickly faded, to be replaced by a low hum of chatter for much of a rhythm-less first half. Aside from a small number of half-and-half scarves (presumably bought as a peculiar memento for this very peculiar occasion), there was little else worth noting in the stands.

On the streets surrounding Villa Park it was a different story, even if there was, fortunately, no violence.

As kick-off approached, a pro-Israel protest was penned into a basketball court and playground behind the Doug Ellis Stand while a far larger pro-Palestine group had formed on Trinity Road, although it was nowhere close to the outlandish 50,000 predicted by one organiser earlier this week.

By late morning, their posters and banners were being attached to lampposts, with Villa staff moving quickly to demand that one reading “Boycott Israel” be removed from the ground’s gates. The messages of “Shooting babies in Gaza, playing games in Birmingham” and “Give Zionism the red card” remained attached to public property outside. Reminders of this being a peaceful demonstration were mixed with inflammatory chants of “From the river to the sea” and “Death to the IDF.”

Local independent MP Ayoub Khan was among those to give an address. “When you see the images of children being massacred, when you understand that more than 800 athletes have been killed in Gaza, then you will understand the moral argument that if we can ban Russian football teams then the right moral stance is you ban any Israeli team from participating,” he told the crowd before conveying his wish that Villa defeat their visitors by a significant margin. That was met by the loudest cheer, with many passing matchgoers joining in.

Not every Villa fan was comfortable with their presence, however, and a line of police on horseback intervened when a small group of supporters began chanting Tommy Robinson’s name close to the 8pm kick-off. Earlier, when one woman, in her twenties, stood with the flag of Israel stretched out, she was met by a predictable verbal reaction before being escorted away for her own safety. It simmered for some time but never boiled over.

Back inside, the Maccabi players had been met with complete disinterest when they emerged for their pre-match warm-ups and there was hardly a murmur when their line-up was read out over a PA turned up louder than normal. Indeed, the only whiff of discontent shown in the opening 15 minutes was towards centre-back Mohamed Ali Camara, who twice went down injured before being substituted.

Time-wasting from goalkeeper Roi Mishpati brought more jeers from the home fans, yet the atmosphere remained unmistakably weird. It did not help that Villa’s first sustained bit of pressure in the final third arrived with 35 minutes on the clock as Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen both went close, while Maatsen turned down a chance to shoot by delivering a low cross instead.

He did not pass up a second opportunity entering first-half added time, though, when he delivered a swerving effort from a tight angle in off the woodwork following fine build-up play from Morgan Rogers.

Malen, leading the line with Ollie Watkins given a rest from the starting XI, made it 2-0 in the 59th minute by coolly converting a soft penalty, awarded when Ezri Konsa was judged to have been fouled by Elad Madmon on the edge of the area.

That it would be deemed a bit of controversy worth talking about on a night that promised so much trouble was some comfort to take from an occasion when, really, there were never going to be any winners.