Aston Villa face Maccabi Tel Aviv in their latest European outingplaceholder image
Aston Villa face Maccabi Tel Aviv in their latest European outing | Getty Images/ Canva
Aston Villa face Maccabi Tel Aviv in their latest European outing
It’s matchday four of the Europa League, and pre-tournament favourites Aston Villa are back in action against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The Villans have started the competition in decent fashion with victories over Coppa Italia holders Bologna and current Eredivisie leaders Feyenoord. However, in arguably their easiest fixture on the continent so far on paper, Villa were given a reminder on just how important it is to avoid complacency in this competition after being stunned by struggling Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles in a 2-1 defeat.
Unai Emery’s side are 10th in the Europa League standings heading into this one. They’ll be keen to jump back into the all-important top eight spots with a victory on home soil. Meanwhile, their opponents are in 32nd position and have plenty of work to do if they are to sneak into at least a play-off spot by the end of the eight-game league-phase.
Aston Villa predicted line-up vs Maccabi Tel Aviv: goalkeeper and defence
GK: Emiliano Martínez: Argentina international Emiliano Martinez will hope to make amends for his mistake against Liverpool during a busy week of European and Premier League action. He’s only started one match in this competition due to injury which came in a defeat to Go Ahead Eagles.
RB: Matty Cash: Experienced defender Matty Cash has started every match this season other than the defeat to Go Ahead Eagles. He’s very much seen as the first choice due to the limited competition in his position at present.
CB: Victor Lindelöf: Swedish veteran Victor Lindelof hasn’t had a lot of minutes so far in a Villa shirt since arriving from Manchester United. However, he could come in for Pau Torres to try and freshen the team up in Europe.
CB: Ezri Konsa: Aston Villa’s most reliable and consistent central defender Ezri Konsa is expected to make his 13th appearances across all competitions. Tyrone Mings, who could have been a potential rotation option, is missing due to injury.
LB: Ian Maatsen: Former Chelsea ace Ian Maatsen has had a frustrating season with limited first team opportunities. However, he’s usually played in Europe this term and could be given another chance to prove his worth in defence.
Aston Villa predicted line-up vs Maccabi Tel Aviv: midfield and attack
CM: Lamare Bogarde: The young Netherlands midfielder could come into the starting lineup to freshen things up with Boubacar Kamara dropping to the subs bench.
CM: Amadou Onana: Former Everton ace Amadou Onana is expected to retain his place in the starting lineup as Aston Villa seek a much improved performance in Europe against the Israeli champions.
LM: Jadon Sancho:Deadline day signing Jadon Sancho hasn’t found his feet yet at Villa Park. He’s struggled for regular starts but could get the chance to make a big impression in Europe this week.
CAM: Harvey Elliott: Another deadline day addition. England Under-21 Player of the Tournament Harvey Elliott, who was ineligible to face Liverpool last time out, has barely had any minutes since joining. He boasts good European experience and needs minutes if he’s to stake a claim for the upcoming World Cup in North America.
RM: Evann Guessand: Former OGC Nice playmaker Evann Guessand has had a poor start to life at Aston Villa and needs to prove his worth in the coming weeks. He had a good season in Ligue 1 before joining and now needs to translate that form over to Villa Park.
ST: Ollie Watkins: England international Ollie Watkins has scored one in his opening 10 games, leaving his hopes of being selected for international duty in slight jeopardy. He’s delivered time and time again for Villa on the big stage and will hope to get back to his formidable best.
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