Police lead a Young Boys fan away - Getty Images/Eddie KeoghSam WallaceThu, November 27, 2025 at 8:20 PM UTC·20 min readb'
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Travelling fans of Swiss club Young Boys attacked police and stewards at Aston Villa and even cut the head of goalscorer Donyell Malen with a cup thrown at the Dutchman as he celebrated his first of two goals in a 2-1 win.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFans of the Bern club could be seen throwing punches at police and stewards from the away end with some pulled out of the stands and arrested. While the live coverage of the Europa League group-phase game did not focus on the violence, videos taken by supporters in other parts of the ground showed the level of aggression of the travelling fans.
After Malen’s second goal, referee Georgi Kabokov halted the game. While the Uefa host broadcaster cameras chose not to cover the trouble, TNT Sports commentator Sam Matterface described many punches being thrown and a young girl caught in the middle at one point. He also said that seats were ripped out and thrown at police officers.
Credit: IAMY4NNO/X
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Youngs Boys’ captain Loris Benito appealed to his club’s supporters to calm down, although it appeared to have little effect. Referee Kabokov spoke to both clubs’ managers on the touchline during a pause in the game.
In the act of celebrating his first goal, Malen was hit with a number of objects thrown from the away fans’ part of the ground. The reaction of the Villa players was telling with many of those congratulating Malen looking in disbelief at the number of objects raining down on them. Malen was not seriously hurt but he looked surprised to touch his skin and feel blood from a small cut that was visible on his shaven head.
Malen scored two first-half goals, and then later substitute Joel Monteiro got a goal for the Swiss in the 90th minute. Young Boys have been sanctioned by Uefa before for the behaviour of their fans. In October last year, the club were fined and ordered to play a game behind closed doors after fans let off flares in a game against Inter Milan.
They have been found to have committed similar offences in the past, especially throwing objects onto the pitch at their home Wankdorf Stadium, including smoke bombs.
07:49pm
FT: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 1
Seven home wins in a row for Villa in all competitions, and they move to 12 points from five games in the Europa League. They should be sure-things for a top-eight finish from here, and there good run of results continues. They are certainly not firing on all cylinders though; is that a good sign or is a punch on the nose around the corner?
07:47pm
96 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 1
Buendia fouled in the Young Boys half, and Maatsen is shown a yellow card for delaying the restart. This game has been an awful watch.
07:46pm
95 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 1
Villa kick the ball long through Martinez, before Konsa is caught in an aerial challenge. That should be that now.
07:45pm
94 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 1
Young Boys have a free-kick which they are going to launch into the box, and Villa fail to clear at the first time of asking, but then the flag goes up for offside.
07:44pm
93 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 1
Villa trying to make the game safe with Barkley driving forward, but Watkins could not generate enough power on his toe-poked effort and the goalkeeper Keller saved with ease. Watkins looks short of that burst he used to have.
07:42pm
GOOOOALL! Young Boys have their goal
What an excellent finish from the substitute Monteiro. This is another tight offside call on the run from out-to-in from the left flank, and the Young Boys forward cushioned the ball down before volleying over Martinez. The Villa goalkeeper was in a questionable position.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere are five minutes of added time to play.
07:40pm
89 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
Watkins with a shot blocked from the edge of the penalty area. Judging by Villa Park’s reaction, that profligacy and shortage of confidence in the last third is the home fans’ bone of contention.
07:37pm
86 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
Villa’s turn to sit with numbers behind the ball and see the game out. Sancho and Watkins try to combine, but the on-loan United winger’s pass was poor. He has not seized his opportunity tonight, and there are a few groans around Villa Park.
07:34pm
83 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
Villa are limping towards the finish line now with some more last-ditch defending required after Virginius ran in behind their defence.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThen they rouse themselves to go on the attack, and Watkins stings the palms of the goalkeeper with a shot from a right angle.
07:29pm
78 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
Some neat interplay from Young Boys through midfield, spreading play from left to right. Maatsen is then caught on the ball in his own penalty area but a shot from the edge of the box is blocked.
Emery is making his final sub: Kamara on for Onana.
07:27pm
75 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
That might jolt Villa into life, who have not got close to their highest levels tonight. It has been a case of doing enough. Which is fine at this stage of the competition, but their performances do not look wholly convincing.
07:24pm
NO GOAL: Virginius ruled offside
That took a couple of minutes to verify, but the Young Boys winger is judged offside. Unfortunate for the Swiss team, but there is no point arguing with these decisions. This is how close it was:
TNT Sports07:22pm
GOOOAALLL! Young Boys pull one back
There are suggestions of offside, but out of nowhere Young Boys pull a goal back. The question is whether Virginius, who teed up the substitute striker Bedia for a tap in, strayed offside with the initial run in the right channel. Replays suggest it was fractionally off...
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA VAR check is under way.
07:20pm
69 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
Villa work a clever free-kick short, one off the training ground, and Young Boys survive some pinball in their penalty area.
07:17pm
66 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
Jadon Sancho gifted the ball just outside the Young Boys penalty area, but not for the first time tonight an Aston Villa player takes too many touches. Ross Barkley with space to drive into through midfield, he feeds Sancho on the overlap, but the winger’s cross is intercepted.
07:15pm
64 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
The pattern of the game has not changed at all in the second half, Young Boys look content to try to keep the score down. A few empty seats at Villa Park because of the unhelpful early kick-off time, and I would not be surprised if a few sneaked home early with this game in the bag.
07:10pm
60 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
Rogers very nearly tees Tielemans up for a tap-in, but the ball bounces off the back of Malen as the midfielder tried to turn the ball towards goal.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHere come the changes: the excellent Tielemans is off, as well as Rogers, Torres and Malen. No hat-trick.
Rosse Barkley, Ezri Konsa, Emi Buendia and Ollie Watkins are on.
07:07pm
56 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
Lovely play from Sancho to squeeze a pass between Young Boys midfielders to Rogers but he misplaced a simple pass that would have seen Malen through on goal for his hat-tricks. Emery is preparing a triple sub.
07:05pm
53 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
Donyell Malen thought he had his hat-trick, but the flag was up for an offside earlier in the move. Lovely dragback from Tielemans after Onana won the ball cleanly, but then the Belgian was caught on the ball.
07:01pm
50 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
Villa do not make the most of the corner, but they continue to keep the ball with ease.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSancho then chops inside a defender to shoot on his right foot, but Keller pushes his shot away.
06:59pm
47 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
Young Boys defender Lauper has been booked for a cynical foul on Morgan Rogers. Villa’s attackers need to take him on time after time now...
Malen has just won Villa a corner, and the fans in the Holte End are enjoying what they are seeing from the Dutchman.
06:56pm
We are back under way!
Young Boys get the second half started.
06:56pm
The players are back out for the second half
No suggestion of any further delays owing to crowd trouble, hopefully the situation is under control now.
06:55pm
Malen Villa’s go-to man
06:40pm
HT: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
A routine home win in the making for Aston Villa who are cruising towards a victory that will cement a top-eight position.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut the story of the game is the disorder in the away end, which continues to rumble on as the players walk off at half-time.
Police struggle to deal with Young Boys fans - Reuters/Matthew Childs06:38pm
45 minutes+4: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
According to TNT Sports, more seats have been ripped out and thrown towards the front row from the away section. Villa have just pieced together another good attack but Rogers’ shot is blocked.
06:36pm
45 minutes: Aston Villa 2 Young Boys 0
Play is now under way after a four or five minute pause in play. We may well end up playing until the 51st minute or so.
06:34pm
Young Boys fans clash with police
According to Sam Matterface on TNT Sports, there have been punches thrown and helmets dislodged at the front of the away section.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementYoung Boys captain Benito went over to plead with the away fans, but that actually seemed to inflame the situation.
The scenes have now escalated to seats being ripped out and thrown at police.
Play has been paused.
Young Boys clash with police - Getty Images/Eddie Keogh
An away fan is wrestled to the ground - Getty Images/Eddie Keogh06:32pm
GOOOAAALL! Malen strikes again
It is a lovely take in midfield from Rogers with what has become his trademark move: receiving on the half-turn and driving forward.
He finds Malen, who chops inside the defender and finishes beyond the goalkeeper with aplomb.
Malen runs to celebrate towards the away fans, and once again a variety of missiles and V-signs come his way.
06:29pm
39 minutes: Aston Villa 1 Young Boys 0
Guessand has been quite wasteful in the final third for Villa. He dribbles into a promising position again but his attempted pull-back across the penalty box is behind his three team-mates.
06:26pm
37 minutes: Aston Villa 1 Young Boys 0
Aston Villa continue to look in complete control against very limited and unambitious opponents. One more goal, and this will become an exercise in squad management for Emery who will look to manage minutes.
06:21pm
33 minutes: Aston Villa 1 Young Boys 0
Villa looking dangerous again, but Guessand cannot get he is shot after a cross was dinked to the back post from the left. Young Boys have been chasing shadows for most of the game, it is just a question of how ruthless Villa can be.
06:19pm
30 minutes: Aston Villa 1 Young Boys 0
Malen has carried on without receiving treatment or being told to leave the pitch, so perhaps it is more of an abrasion that a deep cut. Young Boys will surely be in for a Uefa fine to punish the behaviour of their fans.
Specks of beer fill the air after Malen is struck - Getty Images/Harry Murphy
Donyell Malen reacts to being struck - PA/Joe Giddens06:17pm
GOOAAALLL! Malen converts this time, but unsavoury scenes follow
Villa have their opening goal: Tielemans with the cross, and Malen with a header that creeps into the bottom corner.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, when Malen ran to celebrate with his team-mates the Villa forward was caught on the head by one of the dozens of beer cups raining down from the away end.
The impact appears to have made a small cut in his forehead.
06:13pm
25 minutes: Aston Villa 0 Young Boys 0
Another clear opening is passed up by Villa. Rogers dinks a cross from the left to the back post, headed across goal by Onana but Malen misses his kick in the six-yard box. Emery’s team still searching for that breakthrough goal.
06:11pm
23 minutes: Aston Villa 0 Young Boys 0
Bogarde with a well-struck shot from the edge of the box but it is blocked by Young Boys’ Benito. Guessand continues to see a lot of the ball but the final ball is letting down the Villa forward so.
06:09pm
21 minutes: Aston Villa 0 Young Boys 0
Young Boys clear Tielemans’ delivery but then mess up the chance to break upfield. Tielemans with another fine pass forward towards Guessand, but the wide player was not decisive enough. Rogers pressing well, which leads to the goalkeeper Keller kicking the ball out for a Villa throw.
06:07pm
19 minutes: Aston Villa 0 Young Boys 0
Emi Martinez with a decent save after a promising Young Boys attack, but it was moot because there was an offside in the build-up and up goes the flag belatedly.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTielemans is making Villa tick as he so often does, and Onana wins a free-kick in a crossing position on the right.
06:04pm
15 minutes: Aston Villa 0 Young Boys 0
Villa win a couple of corners in quick succession, and they are looking to reprise the “bus stop” routine which was a theme of England’s 2018 World Cup campaign under Gareth Southgate. Several players stood in a vertical line through the penalty area. Onana heads the first corner back across goal, before Maatsen shoots well over form distance. A few objects being thrown at the corner taker Tielemans from the away end.
06:01pm
13 minutes: Aston Villa 0 Young Boys 0
Benito clips Rogers in midfield and Villa have a free-kick on the edge of the centre circle. Tielemans takes on a shot from 25 yards, but a slip means he cannot generate sufficient power. Straight at Keller and easy for the goalkeeper.
05:59pm
10 minutes: Aston Villa 0 Young Boys 0
Maatsen slips as he is winding up to cross. Guessand looks to have the betting of his full-back Hadjam so far. Villa continue to circulate the ball and work their opponents over. Tielemans and Onana look a cut above their opposite numbers in midield so far.
05:56pm
8 minutes: Aston Villa 0 Young Boys 0
The barrage of Villa attacks continues. This time it was a wicked low cross from the right from Morgan Rogers which evaded everyone. Malen was inches away from turning the ball home with his studs. Villa looking too slick for their opponents so far.
05:55pm
6 minutes: Aston Villa 0 Young Boys 0
The visitors are looking very porous at the back, it feels a matter of time before Villa score. It was some exquisite midfield work from Tielemams to turn under pressure before clipping a pass over the top for the forward run of Guessand. Another short corner, and Sancho shoots straight at the goalkeeper from a tight angle.
05:54pm
4 minutes: Aston Villa 0 Young Boys 0
Villa defender Bogarde perhaps a little fortunate to to win a free-kick after Martinez passed him the ball, but the home team get themselves on the attack.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMalen with a rasping shot from distance; good save from the Young Boys goalkeeper Keller to tip the effort over the bar.
Villa took the corner short before delivering, and the ball bounced off Onana’s knee and over the bar.
Donyell Malen’s shot was saved - Getty Images/Eddie Keogh05:51pm
2 minutes: Aston Villa 0 Young Boys 0
Straight from kick-off, Villa looked to get Malen running at the heart of the Young Boys’ defence and there appeals for a free-kick. Robbie Savage has taken a break from all things Forest Green Rovers to commentate on the game for TV.
Young Boys, all in yellow, are defending in a 5-4-1 and Villa are seeing all of the ball in the early exchanges.
05:48pm
KICK OFF!
The game gets going just the three minutes late.
05:42pm
The players are in the tunnel at Villa Park
Looks like some mist around the ground, or that might be the result of some pre-match pyro.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAston Villa are trying the timeworn trick of keeping their opponents waiting for as long as possible.
05:27pm
The players are out to warm up
05:22pm
What Emery said when asked about Elliott’s future
We now have a lot of matches. We must focus on each match with the players we have now.
We are not thinking about the transfer window in January. He is one of our players and hopefully he can help us. Then, we are going to decide.”
There are other players performing very well. This is the first argument of why he is not playing. He is training very well every day.
05:07pm
These two clubs played in the Champions League last season
Aston Villa ran out 3-0 winners in Burn with Youri Tielemans, Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana on the scoresheet. The game was played on an artificial surface, and because of the new European formats there was no return game. So this is Young Boys’ first visit to Villa Park. Ramsey of course, is now a Newcastle United player.
Villa were comfortable winners in Bern - Getty Images/Sebastian Bozo04:51pm
Young Boys team news
Starting XI: Keller, Zoukrou, Lauper, Benito, Janko, Raveloson, Pech, Hadjam, Males, Fassnacht, Cordova
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSubs: Lindner, Marzino, Andrews, Wuthrich, Virginius, Sanches, Tsimba, Bedia, Luthi, Smith, Monteiro, Rufener
Young Boys are playing at Villa Park for the first time - Getty Images/Darren Staples04:42pm
Assessing Villa’s team
After much fretting about Sancho and Elliott’s shortage of minutes, the on-loan Manchester United winger gets a start with Elliott on the bench.
There has been a healthy amount of rotation from Emery: you would expect Cash, Konsa, Watkins and at least one of Kamara or McGinn to be in Villa’s best team.
Victor Lindelof, Lamare Bogarde, Evann Guessand and Donyell Malen are starting in their place.
Emery’s team have Wolves, a trip to Brighton and a home game against Arsenal to come in the space of six days domestically.
04:33pm
Aston Villa team news: Sancho starts with Konsa and Watkins rested
04:30pm
Lost on loan
Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott joined Villa hoping for more minutes but have found themselves on the fringes.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSancho, still on Manchester United’s books, has played just 168 Premier League minutes this season, but has started two games in the Europa League.
Elliott has made just one Premier League start, in September, and has been left out of Villa’s last four squads entirely. There are reports his deal will become permanent if he makes 10 Villa appearances which could put all parties in a very tricky position.
04:20pm
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04:16pm
Aston Villa are on the charge... results-wise at least
Aston Villa are one of Europe’s form teams with nine wins from their last 11 across all competitions and they can take a step towards the Europa League knockout stages with victory over Swiss club Young Boys tonight.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUnai Emery’s team are especially strong, winning six games in a row at Villa Park since the defeat by Crystal Palace in late August. That was their only loss in 29 home matches across all competitions.
As has been the case at various points at Emery’s career, Villa seem to be running hot with their results more impressive than some very average underlying data. For expected goal difference per 90 minutes, they rank 16th in the Premier League. Perhaps that can be accounted for by a rough start, but in their last two matches against Bournemouth and Leeds they have turned 3.3 xG into six goals, while conceding just once from 3.2 xG. Villa have some good finishers, but that feels unsustainable.
Nevertheless, they will fully expect to see off Young Boys with Morgan Rogers back to his best over the last few months and striker Ollie Watkins looking sharp again. The return of Youri Tielemans in midfield has also been a factor in their recent upturn. Emery has home comforts to look forward to again on Sunday, when Villa host Wolves in a west Midlands derby.
Emery says that good run of results has brought confidence at a time when his squad was not “together”.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe told a press conference: “It comes with confidence and how we reacted inside. In the moment we were not together. It starts with me, and the players following and sharing the message.
“We used the Europa League as a key moment to react, to get momentum with the results. Everything we changed we did collectively.
“Resilience is something you have to feel. When you are struggling, you have to be resilient and wait for your better moment.
“We did it in two matches against Everton and Sunderland. We were resilient. Not great results but we were resilient because we were in a bad moment and we needed to be resilient and wait for our best moment.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFull team news on the way shortly.
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