Aston Villa host another European giant in the Champions League this evening, as Juventus visit Villa Park.
Despite being in the midst of a tough spell, Unai Emery’s outfit have impressed in Europe with three wins from four games in the competition.
Juventus are only two points behind and will be looking to bounce back after failing to win in their last two European matches.
Amadou Onana and Ezri Konsa will both be assessed after the pair missed Aston Villa’s draw with Crystal Palace at the weekend.
Our #UCL journey so far ✨ pic.twitter.com/OvgYe7c8eP
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 27, 2024
Juventus have reportedly trained with just 14 first-team players ahead of tonight’s contest. Juan Cabal and Gleison Bremer are both out of action with anterior cruciate ligament injuries while former Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is a doubt for this game.
Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik, who have 17 goals between them this campaign, are also unlikely to feature.
Aston Villa vs Juventus – Match Preview and Team News
Form
Aston Villa: LLLLD
Aston Villa’s early season promise has faded in recent weeks and they haven’t tasted victory in six games.
Since beating Bologna in the Champions League over a month ago, Villa has been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Crystal Palace, and they saw their unbeaten European record ended at Club Brugge.
In a bizarre incident, Tyrone Mings picked up the ball with his hands to reposition a goal kick. Since the ball was technically in play, it was deemed a handball offence and Hans Vanaken dispatched the subsequent penalty kick.
The Villans looked dejected in defeats on the road to Tottenham and Liverpool and they were forced to come from behind to earn a point at home to a struggling Crystal Palace at the weekend.
Unai Emery will be conveying a message of calm to his squad. A win tonight would see them in a very favourable position to qualify.
Juventus: DWDWD
The arrival of Thiago Motta as manager has reinvigorated a Juventus team that hasn’t lifted the Scudetto in over four years.
Remarkably, the Old Lady are yet to lose in Serie A, though sit sixth after a staggering seven draws in 13 outings.
They have the best defensive record in the division with just seven conceded and a league-leading 10 clean sheets.
No way through @Kalulujr_ ❌ pic.twitter.com/YOECmHKgv2
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) November 25, 2024
Their European campaign started brightly as they overcame RB Leipzig and PSV Eindhoven. However, since then they have suffered a disappointing home defeat to Stuttgart and drawn away to Lille. At the weekend, they had to settle for a goalless draw with Milan at the San Siro.
Last Meeting: Juventus 3-1 Aston Villa, European Cup, 16th March 1983
It has been over 40 years since the two clubs last met, when they were drawn against each other in the quarter-finals of the European Cup.
Juventus had the advantage going into the second leg after beating the English side 2-1 at Villa Park.
It didn’t take long for them to extend their lead. Michel Platini, who won the first of three consecutive Ballon d’Or awards that year, netted inside the opening quarter of an hour.
Shortly after, the Italians had one foot in the semi-finals when Marco Tardelli doubled the lead on the night. Platini recorded his second after the interval to seal progression before Peter Withe scored a consolation for the reigning European champions 10 minutes from time. I Bianconeri made it to the final but fell at the final hurdle to German outfit Hamburger SV.
Predicted Lineups
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Barkley, Tielemans; Bailey, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins.
Juventus: Di Gregorio; Savona, Kalulu, Gatti, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram; Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Weah.
Who is the referee?
Spanish referee Jesús Gil Manzano will be the match official. He will be assisted by Diego Barbero and Ángel Nevado while Juan Martínez Munuera will be the fourth official. The VAR will be Alejandro Hernández and he will be assisted by Guillermo Cuadra.
What channel will Aston Villa vs Juventus be on?
Aston Villa vs Juventus will be televised on TNT Sports 2 and Discovery+.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off at Villa Park will be at 20:00 GMT on Wednesday 27th November 2024.
Odds
Aston Villa – 13/10
Draw – 9/4
Juventus – 9/4
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