Unai Emery stands on the brink of a monumental achievement as Aston Villa travel to face Fenerbahçe on Thursday.
The Spaniard will manage his 100th Europa League game, cementing his status as the competition’s most experienced coach. He moves well clear of the next nearest manager, Jorge Jesus.
While the Lions arrive in Istanbul looking to respond to a frustrating domestic defeat against Everton, their continental form remains imperious.
Villa currently sit third in the league phase standings, leaving them on the cusp of securing an automatic top-eight finish. However, securing that status requires overcoming a formidable test against a resurgent Fenerbahçe.
Under the guidance of Domenico Tedesco, the Turkish giants have hit a rich vein of form, winning four consecutive matches across all competitions to reignite their season.
Fenerbahçe vs Aston Villa – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Thursday, 22 January 2026
- Kick-off: 17:45 GMT
- Venue: Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul
- Referee: Luis Godinho (POR)
- VAR: Jérôme Brisard (FRA)
Team News
Fenerbahçe
The hosts are missing Archie Brown, Levent Mercan, and Sebastian Szymański through injury. January signings Matteo Guendouzi, Anthony Musaba, and Mert Günok remain ineligible until the knockout rounds.
However, the squad features significant Premier League experience. Two former Villa players, Jhon Durán and Marco Asensio, are in contention to feature. Kerem Aktürkoğlu, the club’s top scorer in the competition, will lead the offensive threat.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery faces a significant selection crisis in midfield. John McGinn joins Boubacar Kamara, Ross Barkley, and Amadou Onana on the sidelines. Captain and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez is also confirmed as unavailable for this trip.
This means Marco Bizot is likely to start between the sticks. January signing Alysson is ineligible, while a late decision will be made on Jadon Sancho. Ollie Watkins is expected to spearhead the attack once again.
Form
Aston Villa
Aston Villa enter this contest with a strong historical mastery over their opponents. They won both previous meetings against Fenerbahçe in the 1977-78 UEFA Cup. Prior to their recent Everton loss, Villa had won five of their six European matches.
A key factor has been Victor Lindelöf, who provides a reliable defensive anchor. He boasts the best passing accuracy (93.1%) of any player since 2009 with 20+ appearances. His current season accuracy is even higher at 95.4%.
Fenerbahçe
Fenerbahçe have transformed their home ground into a Turkish fortress. They have lost only one of their six Europa League matches this term. Tedesco’s side currently sits just two points shy of the top eight.
They are also the “bad boys” of the tournament, accumulating 26 yellow cards in six games. Midfielder Talisca has been particularly dangerous, scoring four goals across Matchdays 5 and 6. This is the highest total of any player in that period.
Predicted Lineups
Fenerbahçe Predicted XI: Ederson; Semedo, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Muldur; Fred, Yuksek, Talisca; Asensio, Akturkoglu, Duran
Aston Villa Predicted XI: Bizot; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Bogarde, Tielemans; Guessand, Buendía, Rogers; Watkins
How to Watch Fenerbahçe vs Aston Villa?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports 1. Coverage starts at 17:00 GMT ahead of the 17:45 kick-off.
Read more- Five famous footballers who unhung their boots and came out of retirement
See Also- Crystal Palace consider ex-Chelsea boss as Glasner replacement
