Aston Villa ease to victory on tense night with Maccabi Tel Aviv

The Israeli team had arrived without any supporters, barred because Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group ruled last month that their presence would mean a threat of widespread trouble.

Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers argues with Maccabi Tel-Aviv's Raz Shlomo. Pic: Nick Potts/PA Wire.

Aston Villa 2 Maccabi Tel-Aviv 0

After the warnings, bans and unsuccessful government intervention, came a sigh of relief.