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Aston Villa will be looking to continue their perfect start to their Europa League campaign when they make the short trip to Rotterdam for a potentially tasty clash with Feyenoord this Thursday night.
Unai Emery’s men started the new season with the handbrake on, failing to win any of their first six competitive games and scoring two measly goals during that run. However, things appear to be turning around.
The Villans ended their winless start by edging Bologna 1-0 in their first Europa League game of the new campaign, and they quickly followed that up with a 3-1 thumping of Fulham in the Premier League.
Having managed to seemingly release the handbrake and apply a bit of gas, Emery and his men will now be hoping to continue their newly found momentum against a tricky Feyenoord outfit.
Managed by former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie, Feyenoord have won seven of their 10 competitive games this season, including a 1-0 win over Groningen at the weekend.
The Dutch giants have only lost two games this term, though both of them came in Europe – something that van Persie will be determined to change as their Europa League campaign continues.
Last week, Feyenoord were beaten away at Braga in what proved to be a very disappointing display from the Eredivisie outfit. With just one attempt on target throughout the whole game, the Rotterdam side failed to pose any attacking threat.
Their other European defeat this season came at the hands of Jose Mourinho and his former side, Fenerbahce. The Turkish outfit powered to a thrilling 5-2 win in the second leg of their Champions League qualifier, though ultimately they failed to qualify for the tournament and had to settle for Europa League football.
Aston Villa have a scheduled date with Fenerbahce later this year, though their immediate focus will be on Feyenoord as they look to make their mark on the continent.
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Feyenoord team news
Feyenoord head into the fixture without defender Malcolm, who is set for a long spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery for an injury he picked up at the weekend.
The likes of Gernot Trauner, Thomas Beelen and former Brighton star Jakub Moder are also out of action, while Anel Ahmedhodzic is back in the fold after serving his suspension.
Quinten Timber, who is the twin brother of Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber, is expected to start in centre-midfield.
Ayase Ueda will spearhead the attack after scoring six goals in nine appearances across all competitions this season.
Feyenoord possible starting lineup
Wellenreuther – Nieuwkoop, Ahmedhodzic, Watanade, Bos – Timber, Targhalline – Borges, Steijn, Diarra – Ueda
Aston Villa team news
There are doubts over the availability of midfielder John McGinn, who will be assessed on the day of the match after struggling with a knock.
Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans and Ross Barkley all remain unavailable, while Tyrone Mings is also a major doubt after coming off early against Fulham at the weekend.
Pau Torres or Victor Lindelof will be looking to fill the gap should Mings remain on the sidelines come kickoff.
Aston Villa possible starting lineup
Martinez – Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen – McGinn, Kamara – Guessand, Rogers, Sancho – Watkins
Feyenoord vs Aston Villa: How to watch and listen
Fans in the UK will be able to watch the match live on TNT Sports and the Discovery+ online streaming platform. Live radio commentary will also be available on BBC Radio WM.
Feyenoord vs Aston Villa stats
– Feyenoord are unbeaten in their last six Europa League games at home, outscoring their opponents 18-4 during that time.
– Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has lost just 13 of his 101 matches in the Europa League, winning the competition four times.
– One of those defeats for Emery came against Feyenoord back in 2014 when the Spaniard was managing Sevilla.
– Aston Villa are unbeaten in five head-to-head European encounters against Dutch clubs, winning four of them.
– Eleven of Feyenoord’s last 15 European games produced over 2.5 goals, while five of Villa’s last six on the continent followed that same trend.
Feyenoord vs Aston Villa predictions
It’s only matchday two in the Europa League, yet there’s already a lot on the line for both these clubs heading into Thursday night.
A win for Villa would not only continue their perfect start in the competition, but it would also put them on a three-match winning run across all competitions – a remarkable turnaround from their woeful start to the campaign.
Feyenoord, on the other hand, will be looking to avoid back-to-back European defeats, considering they still have some tough games ahead in the league-phase.
Van Persie’s men have away trips to Stuttgart, Bucharest and Real Betis to come, with a home game against Celtic also on the horizon.
While things are going relatively well for the Rotterdam outfit in the Eredivisie, making progress on the continental stage would further raise Van Persie’s stock in the managerial game. However, getting a result over Villa on Thursday will be a lot easier said than done.
The Villans have lost just one of their last five competitive games, which came against Brentford in the EFL Cup.
For all their attacking criticism, Villa have been able to score in four successive games, and they will be looking to extend that run when they make the short trip over to the Netherlands.
With that in mind, we are backing both teams to get on the scoresheet in what should be an exciting European encounter.
In terms of specific goalscorers, we like the look of Feyenoord’s Ayase Ueda. The Japanese forward has been scoring goals for fun this season and is the man to watch ahead of this upcoming Europa League game.
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