Aston Villa have been struggling to find their feet in the Premier League this season but they always seem to come alive when they step into European nights. The lads from Birmingham pulled off a solid win against Brugge in the Champions League opener and followed that up with strong victories over Coventry and Tottenham. Now with the home crowd back at Villa Park after some away games due to stadium work, the team is itching to show their true colors in front of their supporters. Fenerbahce on the other hand fought through a tough qualification round to reach the big stage and managed a draw against Roma in their first group match but away games in Europe have never been easy for Turkish sides.
Team Form
The Villans lost both their home league games early on against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest but they have bounced back strongly with wins that show good attacking spirit and high scoring form. Unai Emery has got the squad believing again after the international break and the team looks sharp in transition. Fenerbahce have been dealing with some coach stress after their long qualification path but they remain dangerous on the counter with pacey attackers who can punish any lapses in concentration.
- Aston Villa have scored nine goals in their last three matches across competitions
- Fenerbahce picked up just one point from their opening Champions League fixture
- Villa lost both home league games but remain unbeaten in Europe this season
- Turkish teams often struggle with the intensity of away European ties
Tactical Analysis
Emery is likely to set up with a solid midfield base to control the game and use the width to stretch Fenerbahce who tend to sit deep and look for quick breaks. The home side strengths lie in set pieces and quick one twos around the box while their weakness has been early defensive lapses at home. Fenerbahce will rely on their experienced forwards to create chances but they may lack the depth to handle a full ninety minutes of pressure from a motivated Villa side looking to build momentum.
Betting Proposal
With Villa looking sharp and Fenerbahce facing a tough away test the smart money is on the home side to take all three points in style. Aston Villa to win at home with a one goal or more margin at odds of 2.13 looks like the value play for this clash. The types also point to Villa winning outright at 1.68 as the Turkish visitors have shown they can be vulnerable on the road in big matches.
