Aston Villa have a chance to increase their chances of a top-eight finish in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Unai Emery has been boosted by back-to-back wins this week – against Thomas Frank’s Brentford and then the 1-0 win over Southampton on Saturday.
It ends the rut and helps Villa prepare better for their clash against RB Leipzig, who despite being a Pot 1 side, have lost all their Champions League games so far.
On paper, it might suggest that Aston Villa should win, but Leipzig themselves have been through a bad patch and have also recently picked themselves up.
Marco Rose’s side boasts some serious attacking intent, including a sought-after forward in Benjamin Sesko and the highly impressive, Lois Openda.
But Villa have their own threats going into this match and Leipzig themselves have listed them.
Emi Martinez, Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans and Jhon Duran are seen as Aston Villa’s threats v RB Leipzig
Emi Martinez will certainly start in goal and is his side’s undisputed number one, whilst Youri Tielemans has been an ever-present this season.
Both players were listed on RB Leipzig’s official website as players to watch, alongside ball-playing centre-back, Pau Torres and the all-action star, Jhon Duran.
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Duran scored Villa’s winning goal against Southampton and is hoping to keep his place in the XI instead of Ollie Watkins.
Leipzig know the quality inside the Villa squad and they have bigged up some really top players here.
• Emiliano Martinez (goalkeeper)
Strong on his line, intercepts a lot of crosses and has strong reflexes, can contribute to the build-up as well.
• Pau Torres (defender)
Intelligent and able to read the game well in addition to entering and winning lots of tackles.
• Youri Tielemans (midfielder)
The heart of Villa’s midfield is difficult to beat in 1v1s and also helps move the ball up the pitch, while also being a threat from range.
• Jhon Duran (striker)
A talented striker and extremely clinical in front of goal, in addition to having pace and a strong left boot.
Jhon Durán of Aston Villa and Youri Tielemans (top) of Aston Villa celebrate their winning goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Pha...
Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Should Duran or Ollie Watkins start Villa’s Champions League clash v Leipzig?
You can’t argue that Duran is knocking Emery’s door down and, not only doing his talking off the field, but on the pitch also.
The 20-year-old has now netted nine goals in all competitions this season and is seriously breathing down Ollie Watkins’ neck.
That was proven when Duran scored the only goal of the game against Southampton on Saturday and has now scored in his last four starts.
Competition Apps Goals Assists Minutes
Premier League Premier League 15 5 –
UEFA Champions League UEFA Champions League 5 2 –
EFL Cup EFL Cup 2 2 –
Yes, Watkins has played over 1,000 minutes and is playing double the amount of time Duran spends on the pitch, but his record speaks for itself.
As posted by Transfermarkt, the England international still has seven Premier League goals to his name, and with his four assists, he has that creative side to his game, especially given that he provided the most assists in the Premier League last season.
Competition Apps Goals Assists Minutes
Premier League Premier League 15 7 3
UEFA Champions League UEFA Champions League 5 – 1
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