Ollie Watkins starts for Aston Villa against RB Leipzig
Ollie Watkins starts for Aston Villa against RB Leipzig (Image: John Walton/PA Wire)
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has named his starting XI to take on RB Leipzig in the Champions League this evening.
He has made three changes from the side which beat Southampton 1-0 at Villa Park on Saturday. In come Matty Cash, Lucas Digne and Ollie Watkins as Ian Maatsen and Jhon Duran come out of the side and Leon Bailey is injured.
From back to front, Emi Martinez starts in goal behind a defence made up of Ezri Konsa, Carlos, Pau Torres and Digne. Boubacar Kamara partners Youri Tielemans in midfield, while Cash plays from the right as John McGinn and Morgan Rogers support Watkins in attack.
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Leipzig are in need of a win tonight after losing their five matches against Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Liverpool, Celtic and Inter. Their head coach Marco Rose said that only a win would keep their hopes of qualifying for the knockouts alive.
The Bundesliga side failed to register a win in the six matches they played in all competitions in November, but, like Villa, won their last two. Rose's side were thrashed 5-1 at home by Wolfsburg before beating Frankfurt in the German Cup and defeating Holstein Kiel last week.
Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Carlos, Pau, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers, Watkins.
Subs: Olsen, Gauci, Nedeljkovic, Bogarde, Maatsen, Mings, Swinkels, Onana, Barkley, Buendia, Philogene, Duran.
RB Leipzig XI: Gulasci, Geertruida, Orban, Seiwald, Henrichs, Baumgartner, Veermeren, Haidara, Nusa, Sesko, Openda.
Subs: Vandevoordt, Klostermann, Silva, Kampl, Sakar, Jatta, Gebel.
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