Roma Conquers Midtjylland, Malen’s Brace Secures Villa Victory

AS Roma defeated FC Midtjylland 2-1 on October 26, 2023, at the Stadio Olimpico, ending the Danish club’s perfect record in the Europa League. Meanwhile, a double from Donyell Malen propelled Aston Villa to a 2-1 victory over Young Boys, despite disruptions caused by Swiss fans at Villa Park. In another match, Celtic rallied to claim victory against Feyenoord after trailing early.

Roma took control of their match early, scoring in the seventh minute. A well-placed pass from Zeki Celik found Neil El Aynaoui, who struck a crisp volley to give the Serie A leaders the advantage. As the game progressed, it appeared that Roma would secure a comfortable win when Stephan El Shaarawy added a second goal in the 83rd minute with a precise side-footed finish.

However, Midtjylland refused to back down, and substitute Paulinho scored in the 87th minute, narrowing the gap and creating a tense finale for the home side. El Shaarawy almost restored the two-goal cushion but hit the crossbar shortly after. Despite the late pressure, Roma held firm, increasing their points tally to nine in the group stage, while Midtjylland remains at the top with 12 points.

Celtic’s Comeback Against Feyenoord

Celtic faced an uphill battle against Feyenoord, falling behind when Ayase Ueda scored for the Dutch side in the 11th minute. With what could be interim manager Martin O’Neill’s last game in charge, Celtic turned the tide before the break. Reo Hatate delivered a looping ball to Yang Hyun-Jun, who equalized with a powerful strike.

Celtic capitalized on a mistake from Feyenoord’s goalkeeper, Timon Wellenreuther, who poorly distributed the ball under pressure. Hatate seized the opportunity to score from close range, putting Celtic ahead before halftime. As the match drew to a close, Benjamin Nygren’s goal sealed a 3-1 victory for Celtic, ensuring they remain competitive in the tournament.

Aston Villa’s Dominance Amid Fan Disruptions

At Villa Park, Aston Villa’s early pressure paid off when Donyell Malen headed in the opener in the 27th minute. His effort followed a well-placed cross from Youri Tielemans, which forced the Young Boys goalkeeper into a mistake, pushing the ball onto the post and into the net. Villa continued to dominate, with Malen doubling the score just before halftime. Morgan Rogers set him up, allowing the forward to deftly evade a defender and slide the ball into the far corner.

The match was briefly halted due to disturbances from Young Boys supporters, who had been throwing objects onto the pitch. Captain Loris Benito intervened, urging for calm among the away fans. Despite their struggles, Young Boys managed to score a late goal through Joel Monteiro in the 90th minute, but it was too late to spark a comeback.

With this win, Aston Villa moves level with Midtjylland on 12 points in the group stage, setting up an exciting race for qualification as the tournament progresses.