Both English clubs remain firmly in the hunt for UEFA Europa League progression, but their contrasting fortunes underlined the fine margins of European football.

Villa Cruise Past Maccabi to Mark Emery Milestone

Aston Villa extended their impressive European home record with a 2-0 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv, celebrating Unai Emery's third anniversary in charge with their 13th win in 15 European games at Villa Park under the Spaniard.

The night began under a cloud of controversy after Maccabi fans were barred from attending due to security concerns, leading to a subdued atmosphere amid pro-Palestine protests outside the stadium and a heavy police presence that resulted in several arrests.

On the pitch, Villa initially struggled to find rhythm until Morgan Rogers sparked life into the contest with a dazzling solo run, only to be denied by Roi Mishpati. Emiliano Martinez then kept Villa level with a sharp save from Dor Peretz before the hosts struck just before half-time, Ian Maatsen firing in off the underside of the bar after being teed up by Rogers.

Maccabi threatened after the break, but Martínez again came to Villa's rescue with a fine stop to deny Peretz. The visitors' hopes faded when Elad Madmon tripped Ezri Konsa in the box, allowing Donyell Malen to bury the resulting penalty. Malen nearly added a second soon after, but Mishpati tipped his effort wide.

Emery made several late substitutions, including John McGinn for his 300th Villa appearance, with one eye on Sunday's Premier League clash against Bournemouth, as Villa comfortably saw out the win.

The result provided the perfect response to their Matchday 3 setback against Go Ahead Eagles and reinforced Emery's reputation as the Europa League's most successful manager. Maccabi, meanwhile, remain winless in the league phase with one draw and three defeats.

Forest Rue Missed Chances in Graz Stalemate

Nottingham Forest were left to rue wasted opportunities as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Sturm Graz, a result that leaves Sean Dyche's men with only one win in their last 14 matches across all competitions.

Forest began brightly, with James McAtee dragging a first-touch effort just wide and Ryan Yates seeing a close-range header cleared off the line in the opening stages. The visitors thought they had been punished against the run of play when Maurice Malone tapped home after a rebound from Otar Kiteishvili's strike, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Soon after, Forest missed a golden chance to take the lead when Morgan Gibbs-White's penalty was saved by Oliver Christensen following a handball by Emanuel Aiwu.

The second half was more cautious, with few clear chances for either side. Sturm Graz grew into the game, nearly stealing it late on through Jon Gorenc Stankovic before Nicolás Domínguez struck the crossbar with a deflected long-range effort in stoppage time.

Dyche's men were forced to settle for a draw but showed resilience despite their lengthy injury list. For Jurgen Saumel's Sturm Graz, the clean sheet was a welcome boost after a run of defeats, keeping both sides alive in the race for the knockout rounds.

Steve Barker in awe of current Stellenbosch squad