Aston Villa conclude their remarkably successful Europa League league-phase campaign on Thursday night at Villa Park, hosting RB Salzburg, fighting for their continental survival.
Unai Emery’s men have already mathematically secured a top-eight finish. This guarantees them direct passage to the Round of 16. They will be eager to maintain momentum after a clinical 2-0 victory at Newcastle on Sunday. Conversely, the visitors find themselves in a desperate position. Currently sitting 28th in the table, the Austrian champions must secure a maiden victory on English soil.
Aston Villa vs RB Salzburg – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 29 January 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
- Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
- Referee: Rohit Saggi (NOR)
- VAR: Robert Schröder (GER)
- Last Meeting: First competitive meeting
Team News
Aston Villa
Unai Emery is expected to rotate his squad heavily tonight. Midfield metronome Youri Tielemans is out with a significant ankle injury. He joins captain John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara on the sidelines. Ross Barkley remains a major doubt with a knee issue. While Tammy Abraham has returned to the club permanently, he is not registered for this phase. Marco Bizot is likely to continue in goal to manage the workload of Emiliano Martínez.
RB Salzburg
The visitors are still without Takumu Kawamura and John Mellberg. Both players are currently recovering from long-term knee injuries. However, their attack remains a significant threat. Teenage winger Kerim Alajbegovic is in fine form following a brace against Basel. He is expected to support top scorer Petar Ratkov. Ratkov has netted 12 goals in all competitions this term.
Form
Aston Villa
Villa Park has become a European fortress for the Villans once again. Including qualifiers, the club has won 14 of their last 16 home matches in Europe. They are now chasing a record-breaking seventh successive home European win. Curiously, all five of Villa’s home goals in this competition have been scored by players with surnames beginning with M.
RB Salzburg
The Austrian side faces a daunting task in Birmingham. Salzburg are winless in all eight of their previous major European meetings with English clubs. Furthermore, they have lost their last five away matches in major continental competitions. They have never lost six in a row on the road. A loss tonight would likely end their hopes of climbing into the play-off spots.
Predicted Lineups
Aston Villa Predicted XI: Bizot; Garcia, Lindelöf, Mings, Digne; Bogarde, Onana, Hemmings; Sancho, Guessand, Buendía
Red Bull Salzburg Predicted XI: Schlager; Trummer, Gadou, Schuster, Krätzig; Kitano, Diabaté, Bidstrup; Baidoo, Ratkov, Alajbegovic
How to Watch Aston Villa vs RB Salzburg?
In the UK, the match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 2. Coverage begins before the 20:00 GMT kick-off.
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