Aston Villa travel to Switzerland on Thursday night looking to extend a magnificent winning run.
They face FC Basel at St. Jakob-Park in the Europa League. Unai Emery’s side arrive in Basel brimming with confidence after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Premier League leaders Arsenal last weekend. This result extended their winning streak to seven matches across all competitions. The Villans currently sit joint-top of the Europa League standings with 12 points.
They aim to secure a top-eight finish. However, they face a formidable test against a Basel side that has turned St. Jakob-Park into a fortress. The Swiss outfit have won each of their last seven home Europa League matches. This is the longest current winning home run in the competition.
Basel vs Aston Villa – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Thursday, 11 December 2025
- Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
- Venue: St. Jakob-Park, Basel
- Referee: Umut Meler
- VAR: Michael Fabbri
Team News
Basel
Head coach Ludovic Magnin will rely heavily on the experience of captain Xherdan Shaqiri. He has been instrumental this season with 11 goals and 10 assists. The former Liverpool man scored the opener in last weekend’s win over Winterthur and is expected to retain his place in attack. In midfield, Andrej Bacanin is likely to come into the starting XI to replace Marin Soticek. Moritz Broschinski is expected to lead the line. However, there are doubts over the availability of Kaio Eduardo due to injury.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery is expected to rotate his squad following the intense victory over Arsenal. Consequently, Matty Cash could be rested after scoring the opener against the Gunners. Lamare Bogarde, Victor Lindelöf, or the returning Andrés García are contending for the right-back slot. In attack, Donyell Malen is pushing to replace Ollie Watkins. Furthermore, Emiliano Buendía is in contention for a start after scoring the winner against Arsenal. Tyrone Mings and Ross Barkley remain sidelined.
Form
Basel
Basel enter this contest knowing their home form is their greatest asset. They are unbeaten in 10 European matches on home soil since 2015. Moreover, they have won five of their last 10 major European games against English opponents. Despite a rocky start to the league phase, they have found domestic rhythm recently. They have won back-to-back games in the Swiss Cup and Super League.
Aston Villa
Villa are enjoying a historic year in Europe. They have won eight of their last 10 major European matches. All eight wins came in 2025, which is a club record for a single calendar year. Their style under Emery has been distinct. Indeed, they have played the highest percentage of short passes of any team in the competition. History also favours the visitors as Villa triumphed when these sides met in the 2001 Intertoto Cup final.
Predicted Lineups
Basel predicted XI: Hitz; Tsunemoto, Adjetey, Daniliuc, Schmid; Metinho, Bacanin; Shaqiri, Leroy, Otele; Broschinski
Aston Villa predicted XI: Bizot; Bogarde, Lindelof, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Onana; Buendía, Tielemans, Rogers; Malen
How to watch Basel vs Aston Villa?
The match will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sports. Coverage starts at 19:30 GMT.
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