The match of matchday 8 of the group stage of the Europa League 2025/26 between Aston Villa (England) and Salzburg (Austria) will take place 29 january at Villa Park in Birmingham. Aston Villa vs Salzburg: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa, despite having played their last two group-stage matches away from home, handled their opponents at their venues without much difficulty. First they overcame Basel (2:1), then they beat Fenerbahçe (1:0). As a result the club's winning run in this European competition extended to four matches. In the group table of the Europa League the home side occupied second place, losing top spot to Lyon only on goal difference. The home side not only secured qualification for the knockout phase but also qualified directly for the round of 16 of the competition.
- In the Europa League the home side have won 6 of 7 matches (1 defeat).
- Exactly two or three goals were scored in 5 of Aston Villa's previous 6 matches in this European competition.
- The home side scored exactly one or two goals in all 7 matches in this tournament.
Potential Aston Villa Lineup (4-5-1)*
Marco Bizot – Victor Lindelöf, Lucas Digne, Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings – Emiliano Buendía, Jadon Sancho, Lamar Bogarde, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans – Ollie Watkins.
Out injured are midfielders Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara and Ross Barkley, and defender Andres Garcia.
Salzburg
Salzburg hosted Basel in the last round and beat the Swiss side 3:1. It was only the second victory in the current group stage, while the club lost the other five matches. With 6 points the team sat in 28th place and are two points off the qualification zone. To still reach the knockout phase Salzburg needs not only a win in England but also defeats for nearby rivals that could potentially finish in the top 24.
- The visitors' run in the Europa League stands at 10 matches (3 wins and 7 defeats).
- Away in this tournament Salzburg have lost their last 8 matches.
- The team conceded at least two goals in 7 of their previous 8 away games in this European competition.
Potential Salzburg Lineup (4-2-3-1)*
Alexander Schlager – Frans Krätzig, Kwaku Gadu, Yannick Schuster, Tim Trummer – Sumaïla Diabaté, Max Bidstrup – Kerim-Sam Alajbegović, Sota Kitano, Edmund Baidu – Jorrit Vertessen.
Out injured are midfielder Takumu Kawamura and defender Jon Melberg.
Referee
Rohit Saggi (Norway)
Matches – 13 (International fixtures, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow/red cards shown (including second yellows) – 57;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.4;
Red cards shown – 4;
Fouls on average per match – 27;
Penalties – 31%.
Aston Villa vs Salzburg: Match Prediction
In this fixture opponents with different tournament objectives meet ahead of the final round. The home side have nothing to play for as they have qualified for the round of 16 of the Europa League. The visitors, however, still retain a small chance to make the top 24, so they will try to perform this match as well as possible. Therefore we suggest paying attention to the exchange of goals in this game.
The home side will certainly not be left without scoring opportunities. Even if Aston Villa field a rotated line-up, they should still score at least one goal. In the current group stage the home side have scored in all 7 matches. Salzburg have no choice but to play on the front foot and try to score against the hosts. It is also worth noting that Salzburg scored in 4 of their previous 5 matches in this European competition.
Prediction: Both Teams To Score
* For each team the starting lineup from their previous match in this tournament is indicated.
