Young Boys vs Aston Villa Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
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After a dramatic playoff round defeat of Galatasaray last month, the Young Boys of Berne return to the UEFA Champions League to face an Aston Villa side that haven’t played in Europe’s top level club competition in over 40 years.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Tuesday 17th September, 2024 - UK – 5:45pm / US ET – 12:45pm / US PT – 9:45am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – CBS Sports
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – TNT Sports / US – Paramount+, ViX, Amazon Prime
YOUNG BOYS PREVIEW: PATRICK RAHMEN’S YB
Under the management of former Basel 1893 boss Patrick Rahmen, Young Boys won the Swiss Super League with ease last season, sitting above runners’ up Lugano by 12 points and also managing to score 76 goals in their 38 matches. This time around, making a mark on UEFA competition will be the aim for the Berne-based club.
They have, though, endured an extremely difficult start to the 2024/25 Super League campaign and actually sit rock-bottom in Switzerland’s top-flight after failing to win any of their opening six matches, losing three and drawing three. They did overcome Vevey-Sports by four goals to two in the second round of the cup at the weekend.
ASTON VILLA PREVIEW: VILLA IN EUROPE
In 1982, Aston Villa won the European Cup. Since then they have played one game in the competition but now Unai Emery has the chance to continue to create a magnificent legacy at Villa Park and it has been another bright start to the campaign in the Premier League for the Villains.
Jhon Duran’s spectacular strike at the weekend was his third goal of the season and gave Aston Villa a 3-2 win against Everton after being 2-0 down in the first-half. They have won three and lost one of their opening four matches with that one defeat coming at home to a strong Arsenal side in mid-August.
YOUNG BOYS TEAM NEWS: SEVERAL ISSUES
As well as resting players to focus on UEFA Champions League qualification, Young Boys’ poor start to the season domestically has also been caused by plenty of injury issues and that is especially seen defensively.
Loris Benito is unavailable alongside Saidy Janko as well as new loan signings Patric Pfeiffer and Abou Conte. As well as those defensive issues, Young Boys are also without Lukasz Lakomy and forward Facinet Conte.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Keller; Blum, Camara, Zoukrou, Hadjam; Lauper, Niasse; Monteiro, Ugrinic, Colley; Ganvoula
UNAVAILABLE: Pfeiffer (Injured), Benito (Injured), Janko (Injured), A. Conte (Injured), Lakomy (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
ASTON VILLA TEAM NEWS: BAILEY BLOW
In bigger games against tough opposition, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Unai Emery deploy someone like Ezri Konsa at right-back but in what is such a tightly packed schedule and against a team Villa should beat, Kosta Nedeljkovic seems likely to start.
That is because Poland international Matty Cash is out with a hamstring injury alongside key attacker Leon Bailey, who has actually travelled to Berne despite having the same injury issue. Robin Olsen and Tyrone Mings also remain out for Villa.
PREDICTED XI (4-4-2): Emiliano Martinez; Nedeljkovic, Konsa, Torres, Digne; McGinn, Onana, Tielemans, Rogers; Watkins, Jhon Duran
UNAVAILABLE: Olsen (Injured), Mings (Injured), Cash (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Kamara (Injured), Bailey (Injured)
KEY STATS
- Young Boys have won three of their previous 18 matches in the UEFA Champions League competition proper (D4 L11).
- Young Boys have won only one of their last 11 UEFA competition matches against English clubs (D2 L8).
- Young Boys have won twice at home in their six UEFA competition matches against English clubs (L4); The successes were - 3-2 vs Tottenham (2010/11 Champions League play-offs first leg) and 2-1 vs Man United (2021/22 Champions League group stage MD1).
- Young Boys have only failed to score in one of their last 11 UEFA competition matches.
- Sandro Lauper has made the most appearances for Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League competition proper. This is set to be his 16th appearance.
- European Cup winners in 1982, this is Aston Villa's first UEFA Champions League campaign – they are the 11th English club to feature in the competition proper.
- Aston Villa have lost only one of their previous four UEFA competition matches against Swiss teams (W2 D1). However, they are aiming for their first victory away from home against a Swiss club (D1 L1).
- Aston Villa have won only two of their last 11 UEFA competition matches away from home (D3 L6).
- Aston Villa have won their previous two competitive matches away from home this season. Both finished 2-1.
- Amadou Onana and Jhon Durán scored in both of Aston Villa’s previous two competitive matches away from home this season.
YOUNG BOYS VS ASTON VILLA PREDICTION
It still feels unusual to be discussing and previewing Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League and especially one in which they will be expected to win. They proved last year they can win ties in Europe when they reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League and Villa are expected to dominate the play here against an unconvincing and generally weak, for the level, Young Boys side. Villa are firm favourites to get up and running in Berne.
YOUNG BOYS VS ASTON VILLA TIP: ASTON VILLA TO WIN
