Soccer
Prediction: Aston Villa to win 2-1
Best Odds: 79/10
RB Leipzig and Aston Villa will lock horns with each other in the UEFA Champions League this week. The League Stage game between the Bundesliga club and the Premier League outfit will be held at the Red Bull Arena and is scheduled to kick off at 8pm UK time on Tuesday.
RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig are one of the biggest clubs in Germany and have done well in recent years. Die Roten Bullen finished fourth in the Bundesliga table last season and are expected to at least challenge for the title this time around.
However, things are not going so well for Leipzig at the moment. Marco Rose’s side are fourth in the Bundesliga table right now. They have picked up 24 points from 13 matches and are nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
Die Roten Bullen are really struggling in the UEFA Champions League. After five rounds of matches in the League Stage of Europe’s premier club competition, Leipzig find themselves third from bottom in the table. They have lost all five of their matches in the UEFA Champions League.
Team News:
RB Leipzig are likely to line up in a 3-5-2 formation against Aston Villa in the UEFA Champions League this week. Peter Gulacsi will be in goal for the German club. Nicolas Seiwald, Williams Orban and Lutsharel Geertruida will be the three defenders. Christoph Baumgartner, Arthur Vermeeren and Amadou Haidara will be the three midfielders. Benjamin Henrichs and Antonio Nusa will play out wide. Benjamin Sesko and Lois Openda will be the two forwards.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa are one of the biggest clubs in England and are an established team in the Premier League. Under former Arsenal manager Unai Emery, they are a renewed force and are going places.
Villa finished in the top four of the Premier League table last season and qualified for this campaign’s UEFA Champions League. The Villans are in a very good position in the league standings right now. Villa are only two points behind fourth-placed and defending champions Manchester City.
Emery’s team are doing well in the UEFA Champions League as well. After five rounds of matches, the Premier League club find themselves 10th in the League Stage table with 10 points. They are level on points with Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal and AS Monaco, who are sixth, seventh and eighth in the standings.
Team News:
Aston Villa are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against RB Leipzig. Emiliano Martinez will be in goal for the Villans and will have Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos, Pau Torres and Ian Maatsen in front of him in defence. Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans will be the two holding midfielders. With Leon Bailey injured, Ross Barkley will replace him in the starting lineup. John McGinn and Morgan Rogers will be the two other attacking midfielders. Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Villa.
Key Factors to Consider
- RB Leipzig have scored 4 goals in 5 UEFA Champions League games in this campaign.
- Aston Villa have scored 6 goals in 5 UEFA Champions League matches this season.
- Aston Villa have conceded 1 goal in 5 UEFA Champions League matches this season.
- Ollie Watkins has scored 7 goals in 16 matches for Aston Villa so far this season.
- RB Leipzig have conceded 10 goals in 5 UEFA Champions League games in this campaign.
- Conclusion
RB Leipzig have been dire in the UEFA Champions League this season. Even playing at home is not going to be of much help to the German club. Aston Villa will have to step up their game against the Bundesliga outfit. It is likely that Unai Emery’s side will pick up all three points from the game.
Prediction: Aston Villa to win 2-1
Best Odds: 79/10
Read MoreJamie Jones