Donyell Malen can do something for the first time in his career when Aston Villa face Feyenoord
Donyell Malen will face off against a familiar foe when Aston Villa play Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday.
Villa are expected to beat Feyenoord, with Unai Emery hoping to make it three consecutive wins across all competitions.
The Spaniard has attempted to perform a rescue mission on his side’s season over the last week, with crucial victories coming against Bologna and Fulham.
And Emery should be confident for Thursday’s game, with Villa having never lost against a Dutch side.
John McGinn is expected to be rested against Feyenoord, after the midfielder came off injured in the second half of the Fulham clash.
Donyell Malen has never beaten Feyenoord
Malen was impressive through the middle against Bologna last week, but the forward was given just seven minutes against Fulham.
It may be in Emery’s best interests to start the Dutchman on Thursday, however, with the 27-year-old having a personal investment.
The best three teams in the Netherlands – Ajax from Amsterdam, Feyenoord from Rotterdam, and PSV from Eindhoven – are known as the ‘Big Three’, and share a fierce rivalry.
Malen has played for two of the teams. He started out in the Ajax youth academy, before moving on to Arsenal.
| Donyell Malen | PSV |
| Appearances | 116 |
| Goals | 55 |
| Assists | 20 |
| Titles | 1 |
He would leave the Gunners for PSV in 2018, where he stayed until his move to Borussia Dortmund in 2021.
Should Malen have beaten Feyenoord during his time in Eindhoven, Thursday’s match may not carry such significant weight, but he did not.
The forward faced the current Eredivisie leaders on five different occasions, losing on three of them, and scoring the equaliser to draw in the other.
Unai Emery should let Malen inflict revenge
Rivalries affect football at all times, but those from your own home country will always grab at those slightly deeper roots.
Emery can take advantage of that when it comes to Malen’s participation in Thursday’s game.
The forward will likely get a lot of stick from the home fans, but it can only be assumed that no other Villa player on that pitch will want to win that game more than him.
In the same way that Jack Grealish always performed against Birmingham City, Thursday’s game may see Malen take on a new level under Emery.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Aston Villa news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @villanews247