Aston Villa are starting to feel the effects of a European gauntlet as the Premier League side hope to pull themselves out of a recent winless run as they host Juventus in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Unai Emery’s side started the season in great form, looking like they would make good on last term’s top-four finish by challenging again at the right end of the table, but they have skidded to a halt in recent weeks as the exhaustion from a European jaunt sets in. The midfield has been ravaged by injuries, leaving them with a gaping hole in the middle of the pitch.
Villa have not won since a 2-0 victory over Bologna in the Champions League over a month prior, putting them on a six-match winless run. Despite that sequence, which includes a 1-0 defeat at Club Brugge in their last European battle, they still sit eighth in the Champions League table, meaning a bye to the Round of 16 is well within their reach if they can reverse their fortunes soon.
Juventus are right on their heels, sitting 11th in the table but also in the midst of a poor run of form. Since beating RB Leipzig 3-2 on the road in Germany, Juve have won just three of their past nine games as a host of injury issues take their toll.
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Aston Villa vs. Juventus lineups, confirmed starting 11, team news
Young Dutch right-back Lamare Bogarde started over the weekend against Crystal Palace but was yanked at halftime, replaced by Matty Cash. The more experienced man starts here.
On the injury front, Ezri Konsa missed the weekend’s match with a hip issue suffered on international duty and is only on the bench, while Jacob Ramsey remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. Amadou Onana is dealing with a “small” injury and is out, but Boubacar Kamara and John McGinn start.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1 right to left): E. Martinez (GK) — Cash, Carlos, Torres, Digne — Bailey, Kamara, Tielemans — Bailey, Rogers, McGinn — Watkins
Aston Villa subs: Konsa, Mings, Barkley, Duran, Buendia, Gauci, Philogene, Nedeljkovic, Maatsen, Olsen, Bogarde
Injured: Konsa (hip), Ramsey (hamstring), Onana (knock)Suspended: None
Juventus are dealing with a host of injuries that have left them shorthanded. Brazilian defender Bremer is out for much of the season with an ACL tear, and while Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik is nearing a return from one of his own, he’s not yet ready to see the pitch despite returning to training.
Douglas Luiz and Nico Gonzalez are both struggling with thigh issues and while they are expected to make it back soon, they both miss out here. Star striker Dusan Vlahovic is also not yet ready to return from a muscle problem, so Tim Weah starts as the centre-forward.
Nicolo Fagioli has seemingly lost his place in midfield to new summer signing Khephren Thuram. Weston McKennie missed training in the build-up to this game and is seemingly not fit to be involved.
Juventus (4-2-3-1, right to left): Di Gregorio (GK) — Savona, Gatti, Kalulu, Cambiaso — Locatelli, Thuram — Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Yildiz — Weah
Injured: Bremer (ACL), N. Gonzalez (thigh), Douglas Luiz (hamstring), Vlahovic (muscle), McKennie (undisc.)Suspended: None
Aston Villa vs. Juventus live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this Champions League match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
