Villa bring European football back home with one final act over the controversy that de-railed last season’s campaign.

The claret and blues hope to overhaul Rapid Vienna’s 1-0 lead in front of a home crowd which the club hopes will be swollen not just by Monday’s victory at Liverpool, but a promotional offer aimed at appeasing fans still grumpy over Martin O’Neill’s now-infamous Moscow surrender.

Villa’s UEFA Cup exit with a second-string outfit was the start of a troubled spell for the manager which damaged him personally and the club generally – tonight a ‘buy one, get one free’ offer on tickets which would see supporters receive a free ticket for a group stage game is the latest attempt to erase the PR gaffe.

O’Neill said: “I thought that was a really good insight. It was the office’s idea, but if they’d asked me I would have been all for it.

“I think it’s really good. It might be reasonably well received. I think regardless of what happened last year it’s a nice gesture.”

The Villa boss has been bristling at some of the criticism aimed in his direction, by fans frustrated by a lack of signings and back-to-back defeats before the Liverpool game.

With his team 2-0 up at Anfield, he did not respond to demands for a wave from travelling fans, after criticising the booing his team received after the opening 45 minutes of the Wigan calamity.

He said: “You can voice your opinion any way you see fit at the end of the game, because you’ve paid hard-earned money to come and support the team.

“That’s warranted. I am not sure about being booed after a first half in which for 20 minutes we were the better side.

“I think you’d have to question whether it’s warranted. I’m sticking to that point – and you can turn it round any way you want.

“I wouldn’t be asking Villa fans to do anything more than they normally do. They want to watch a team that can entertain them, which I think we did last season.”

Villa go into the game actively working on the signings O’Neill hopes can yet give him a squad strong enough to sustain the multi-challenges of the season.

With Rapid lining up a game plan to frustrate Villa, there is no doubt fans, manager and team need to be as one to unsettle the Austrians, whose own supporters whipped up a storm against Villa a week ago, with defender Curtis Davies admitting the first-leg “was as good an atmosphere as I have played in.”

Striker John Carew could feature for Villa after injury, while winger Ashley Young is optimistic of playing.