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August 7, 2024
Credit to La Liga 2 Image Gallery
Aston Villa returns to their home ground in Walsall for the concluding stages of their pre-season campaign, facing off against La Liga’s Athletic Club.
After beginning their summer with two convincing 3-0 victories, Unai Emery’s squad experienced a challenging tour of the United States. Villa faced three defeats against Columbus Crew, RB Leipzig, and Club America, managing to score only once.
Despite Emery’s extensive rotation and the absence of key players, the importance of the upcoming season makes it understandable for supporters to be anxious about the team’s current form.
Returning to familiar surroundings should serve Aston Villa well on Wednesday as they face Athletic Club. Ernesto Valverde’s team had a successful 2023/24 season, securing fifth place in La Liga. Their summer has been quite eventful, and this match is set to be their most significant test before their season opener against Getafe on August 15.
Here is a crucial preview of Aston Villa’s upcoming friendly against Athletic Club, a match of significant importance.
Last Encounter: Aston Villa 2-1 Athletic Club (November 4, 1997) – UEFA Cup
How to Watch Aston Villa vs Athletic Club: T.V. and Live Streaming Information
Emery’s Villa are back in action on Wednesday / Vincent Carchietta/GettyImages
Emery utilized his entire squad during the U.S. tour, so a broad range of Villa players are expected to feature on Wednesday.
The Spanish manager remains without long-term absentees Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings, and reserve goalkeeper Robin Olsen is also injured.
When Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez, and Ezri Konsa will make their first summer appearances is yet to be determined.
For their match against Athletic Club, Aston Villa’s anticipated lineup in a 4-3-3 formation is as follows: Gauci; Cash, Bogarde, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans, Barkley; Bailey, Archer, Rogers.
Williams is being chased by some of Europe’s top clubs / Dan Mullan/GettyImages
Euro 2024 sensation Nico Williams remains a subject of transfer speculation this summer, with ongoing rumors about his potential departure. The winger has yet to feature for Athletic Club in their pre-season matches. However, his brother, Inaki Williams, is set to start on Wednesday.
Unai Simon is sidelined with a wrist injury, which may keep him out for the initial weeks of the season, a significant blow to Athletic Club’s defensive line. Meanwhile, Julen Agirrezabala is contending with a minor back issue and is expected to miss the match in Walsall, which could affect the team’s midfield stability.
Aside from these concerns, Julen Valverde has most of his squad available for selection.
For the match against Aston Villa, Athletic Club is anticipated to start with the following lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation: Padilla; De Marcos, Yeray, Vesga, Lekue; Prados, Herrera; Berenguer, Sancet, I. Williams; Guzureta.
Despite the lackluster results, their U.S. tour has some positives. Emery will likely take the summer’s disappointing performance with a grain of salt, considering the extensive rotation and the absence of key players.
Nevertheless, he will be keen to see a marked improvement in their performance before the Premier League opener against West Ham.
Returning to British soil in midweek should work to their advantage, especially with the Athletic Club making the journey.
The Spaniards have had a varied pre-season, but this match is expected to be highly competitive, adding to the intensity. While the outcome could go either way, Villa will likely secure their second domestic win of the pre-season.
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Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and football sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Football News Today, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for football, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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