Morgan Rogers sends message to John McGinn after Aston Villa milestone in win vs Maccabi Tel Aviv
John McGinn made his 300th appearance for Aston Villa on Thursday as the Villans got back to winning ways in the Europa League.
Villa beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-0, with Ian Maatsen firing in the opener before Donyell Malen doubled the lead from the spot on 6 November.
The victory leaves the Villans sixth in the Europa League group stage table, and with a great chance of securing qualification to the knockouts.
Youri Tielemans returned from injury and impressed against Maccabi Tel Aviv, playing a sensational pass in his first seconds on the pitch.
And Jadon Sancho was a constant spark for Villa against Maccabi Tel Aviv, completing more dribbles than anyone else on the pitch.
Morgan Rogers sends John McGinn message
Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned from attending Villa Park for Thursday’s game, in a decision that dominated media coverage leading up to the clash.
Protests took place outside the ground, with the police allocating hundreds of officers to control the proceedings.
| Aston Villa | Match stats | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 66% | Possession | 34% |
| 13 | Shots | 6 |
| 8 | On target | 3 |
| 1.98 | Expected goals (xG) | 1.02 |
| 3 | Corners | 1 |
The commotion created a frosty atmosphere for what was ultimately a game without much controversy.
Villa started slowly, but grew into the game before taking the lead through Maatsen.
Referee Julian Weinberger’s decision to point to the spot when Ezri Konsa had been brought down will be viewed as generous, but there was no uncertainty in Malen’s powerful penalty.
McGinn replaced Amadou Onana in the 75th minute, making his 300th appearance for Villa.
Morgan Rogers took to Instagram after the game to share a picture of the captain from the dressing room, who smiled to the camera. The midfielder wrote: “Big 300 for the boy”.
Villa fans will love what McGinn said after new contract
McGinn signed a new contract at Villa Park this week, with the fresh terms set to keep the Scot in claret and blue until at least 2028.
The contract will also take the 31-year-old to a decade as a Villa player, with the midfielder arriving from Hibernian in 2018.
Speaking to VillaTV on Thursday, McGinn said: “I love being here and love being on this journey. So, it was really straightforward, absolutely no problem.
“I’m happy here and keen to extend as well. It’s probably, in my career, the easiest contract I’ve ever had to sign, and I’m really happy it’s over the line.”
Villa fans will be just as delighted, with their captain set to star at Villa Park for years to come.
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