- Aston Villa host Nottingham Forest in the second leg of the Europa League semi-final on Thursday night
- Forest have a one-goal lead from the first leg
- Key players who were rested against Tottenham will likely return
Aston Villa will have to overturn a one-goal deficit to progress to the Europa League final. After key players were rested against Tottenham, Unai Emery is expected to name them in his starting lineup for tonight’s fixture.
It was a bitterly disappointing performance on Sunday by the Villans, as they were made a mockery by Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham. They were completely overrun in midfield, beaten to every ball, and showed no intensity or passion. If they want to defeat Nottingham Forest this evening, then they cannot afford to do the same again.
A big boost for Emery’s side is the return of captain John McGinn, who missed their encounter with Spurs due to a tight hamstring. With an electric Villa Park atmosphere behind him, his energy and fight will increase tenfold.
The concerning news, however, is the absence of Amadou Onana, who has been ruled out of the game with a calf issue. His physicality was so important in the first leg, and will be a big miss, given the struggles of his replacements, Lamare Bogarde and Douglas Luiz.
Whoever Emery names in his starting lineup has to be up for the battle, start on the front foot, and create a night to remember.
Back four picks itself
The back four is probably the easiest selection for Emery. Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres are staples, and the choice at left-back seems clear after his selection on the weekend.
Although Lucas Digne was at fault for the penalty in the first leg, Ian Maatsen played poorly on Sunday. The Dutchman also played the full 90 minutes, despite Emery regularly using one of his five substitutes for the left-back position in games.
Therefore, Digne will likely be selected.
Douglas Luiz to replace Amadou Onana
With Onana’s injury and the likelihood of more possession than in the first leg, Douglas Luiz is expected to come in for the Belgian. He hasn’t started a game since March 19th, but his technical ability on the ball is superior to Lamare Bogarde’s.
Bogarde has been favoured in the last few games, but he has really struggled defensively and when trying to progress up the pitch. In his last three appearances, he has won just 50% of his ground duels.
Luiz also brings the set-piece factor, which could be hugely beneficial.
Buendía and McGinn on the flanks
There is no better game than tonight’s fixture to have both Buendía and McGinn starting on the left and right. They both work extremely hard, and both feed off the energy given by the crowd. If there are two players that will run from minute one to minute 90 or 120, it’s them.
Villa desperately needs that after a lackluster showing against Tottenham. It will raise the levels of the rest of their teammates, and also give the supporters something to use to spur their team on.
Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins will obviously lead the line, and their performances could be the key to whether Villa win or lose the match.
In total, the assumption is that Emery will make seven changes from the eleven that faced Tottenham.
Aston Villa predicted XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Luiz, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers, Buendía, Watkins
