PARIS:

Aston Villa beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 2-0 in the on Thursday in a match dominated by tight security measures in Birmingham with travelling fans barred over safety concerns.

Some 700 police were positioned around the stadium as pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters held separate demonstrations outside Villa Park in the run-up to kick-off.

The protests passed largely peacefully, with police saying they made six arrests for offences ranging from racial aggravation to failing to comply with a dispersal order.

Villa announced last month that no Maccabi fans would be allowed at the match following a police risk assessment.

The decision sparked criticism, including from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer who set about trying to reverse the move, but the Israeli club later announced i

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