The Daily Star Ireland
Aston Villa, making their return to the Champions League after a long absence, started the group stage with impressive performances. The English side secured victories over Young Boys Berne (3-0), Bayern Munich (1-0), and Bologna (2-0).
However, their momentum was abruptly halted on the final matchday when they unexpectedly lost to Club Bruges (1-0), dropping them to 7th place in the standings. In the Premier League, Villa has faced a tough spell, suffering consecutive defeats to Tottenham (4-1) and Liverpool (2-0). They will look to bounce back in their upcoming match against Crystal Palace.
Juventus, who missed out on the Champions League last season, made a strong return by winning their first two games against PSV Eindhoven (3-1) and RB Leipzig (2-3), even with a numerical disadvantage. However, their form dipped after they were upset by Stuttgart (0-1) and held to a draw by Lille (1-1). With 7 points from their group, Juventus currently sit in 12th place.
In Serie A, they remain competitive, occupying 6th place, just 2 points behind leaders Napoli. Juventus will aim for their third consecutive league win against AC Milan this weekend.
For Aston Villa, manager Unai Emery will have to cope with the absence of key players, including full-back Cash and possibly midfielder Ross Barkley. Despite these setbacks, Villa’s attack remains strong, with the influential Rogers (3 goals, 2 assists in the Premier League) and Watkins (5 goals, 2 assists in the Premier League) leading the forward line. Striker Duran (4 goals in the Premier League) is likely to remain a substitute. In midfield, Villa could field Belgian players Thielemans and Onana, or Frenchman Kamara, with Lucas Digne playing left-back and Emiliano Martinez in goal.
On the Juventus side, coach Thiago Motta, a former PSG player under Unai Emery, will also have to manage several key injuries. Brazilian internationals Bremer and Douglas Luiz, winger Nico Gonzalez, and substitutes Cabal, Adzic, and Milik are all sidelined. Most concerning is the absence of striker Vlahovic, who injured himself during the last international break while playing for Serbia. In Vlahovic’s place, Weah (4 goals in Serie A) could be deployed, along with Conceiçao (1 goal, 3 assists in Serie A), Koopmeiners, and Yildiz (3 goals, 2 assists in Serie A).
Prediction
Aston Villa’s home games have rarely featured goals at both ends, with this happening in only five of their last 19 matches. Meanwhile, Juventus has shown a strong defensive record, keeping clean sheets in 11 of their last 17 Champions League games.
Prediction: Aston Villa 0 – 2 Juventus.
