Aston Villa face Zrinjski in the Europa Conference League on Thursday evening, and here’s how Unai Emery’s starting line-up looks.
Although Villa have already secured a place in the knockout stage having won our last four consecutive games in Europe, a point in Mostar will ensure we finish top of Group E.
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That will be important given it allows us to bypass the playoffs round next year, and so Emery had been expected to name a strong starting XI for the encounter.
That said, the Villa boss will also be looking to find the right balance in the coming weeks as he rotates and rests key players, but as seen in the club’s tweet below, it’s still a line-up that should get the job done against Zrinjski, who proved to be stubborn opposition when these two sides met at Villa Park.
Filip Marschall gets the nod between the posts with Emi Martinez getting a rest, and after his absence last weekend, Robin Olsen is once again unavailable, thus opening up the opportunity for the young shot-stopper.
Matty Cash and Alex Moreno return to the backline with Ezri Konsa shifting inside to partner Pau Torres, while Nicolo Zaniolo, Leander Dendoncker and Jacob Ramsey start in midfield alongside Douglas Luiz.
There are two more changes in the final third with Moussa Diaby supporting Jhon Duran, and so it’s hoped that we’ve got the balance right with our rotation to put on a positive performance and get the desired result.
It’s arguably stronger than expected from Emery, but it’s good to see key players and squad depth getting minutes as we look to maintain our impressive form, and continue to build a structure that is so important to the Villa boss.
Your Aston Villa tonight! 👊 #UECL pic.twitter.com/QLSA6BR05O
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 14, 2023
