Aston Villa get their Champions League campaign underway this week and here’s how Unai Emery’s starting line-up could look vs Young Boys.
After registering three wins in four Premier League games to start the new season, it’s been a positive start from Emery and the players as we look to build on our progress from last year.
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However, not only does the Champions League represent the ultimate challenge given the level of the opposition we’ll face, but it also starts to ask questions about this squad in terms of quality competition and depth as we look to compete across multiple competitions.
Given the magnitude of the game and their contribution to getting us to this point, there won’t be a single Villa player who will want to miss out on a starting berth for this clash, but Emery will have to pick the strongest XI that he feels gives us the best possible chance of securing all three points in this particular fixture.
Fresh legs at full-back, or will Villa go unchanged and save rotation for weekend?
Emiliano Martinez will start between the posts, while the centre-half partnership of Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa is expected to continue.
However, could we see Emery freshen things up in the full-back positions? While Lamare Bogarde has been solid in his two appearances in recent weeks, Kosta Nedeljkovic has a bit of Champions League experience to draw upon, and his height and physicality could be important too from set-pieces.
Meanwhile, Ian Maatsen was a star performer in this competition last season, could we go for a different look with his attacking qualities? The expectation is that Lucas Digne will keep his spot, but it’s another interesting choice for Emery given he now has two great options in most positions in his squad.
The midfield pivot partnership of Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans is likely to continue as we look for control and presence in midfield to dominate the game, while the pace, strength, skill and tenacity of Jacob Ramsey, Morgan Rogers and John McGinn behind Ollie Watkins will hopefully make us a real threat in the final third.
Jhon Duran will of course be desperate to get a starting spot after his excellent form so far this season, but it just doesn’t seem likely that Emery will drop Watkins for such a big game on our return to the Champions League.
The Villa boss has confirmed that Leon Bailey is back in the squad after his injury setback, but given it was a hamstring issue, there is surely no reason to rush him back into this game unless he’s needed. Naturally, the medical staff wouldn’t have given him the green light if they didn’t feel he was ready, but perhaps the sensible option would be to get him ready for the weekend instead.
It’s the first fascinating week selection wise for Emery, as he’ll possibly save his rotation for the weekend when we face Wolves, while he’ll be expected to make wholesale changes next week when we face Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup.
In turn, it would come as no real surprise if he goes with an unchanged Villa XI in this one, and then tinkers from Saturday onwards. However, particularly at right-back, it seems a big ask to give the nod to Bogarde for his debut in the competition, and while Nedeljkovic is still learning and inexperienced himself, he may well just edge it and return to the Villa starting line-up in midweek.
Thoughts on the Villa XI below? Any changes?
Predicted Aston Villa XI vs Young Boys: Martinez, Nedeljkovic, Konsa, Pau, Maatsen; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins.
