Aston Villa go into tonight’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich off the back of an unconvincing draw away at Ipswich Town, which exposed their defensive frailties, as much as it further reinforced Ollie Watkins’ tag as one of the most dangerous sharpshooters in the Premier League currently.
Villa were run ragged at points by the likes of Liam Delap accelerating forward at will, with the former Manchester City youngster a constant thorn in the side all afternoon with two strikes, as Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys picked up a share of the points in the entertaining 2-2 draw.
It definitely wasn’t ideal preparation for the mammoth clash with Bayern next, with Michael Olise and Jamal Musiala licking their lips potentially at the prospect of further exposing a ropey Villa defence.
Of course, the Villa Park masses could play their part as a 12th man this evening too, with a hostile atmosphere potentially getting to the Bavarian giants as Unai Emery’s men then pull off a huge Champions League victory.
It will be an entirely different game from the one that saw the West Midlands outfit comfortably dispatch Young Boys in Switzerland, with Emery scrambling in his head now as to what XI to pick to try and pull off a shock win in Europe’s most prestigious competition.
Lucas Digne could be one casualty who doesn’t make the team after Villa’s slip-up in Suffolk, with two changes present in this predicted lineup, following the stalemate at the weekend…
1 GK – Emiliano Martinez
It’s almost set in stone that Emiliano Martinez will start his side’s second Champions League tie of the season, with zero minutes missed in the top-flight so far by the South American shot-stopper.
He was also a standout performer away at Young Boys last month, with his five saves helping Villa keep a clean sheet to ensure the 3-0 win was secured.
2 RB – Lamare Bogarde
The right back spot has been a problem area for Villa over the last few weeks, owing to Matty Cash’s absence in the treatment room.
This clash versus Vincent Kompany’s titans will come too soon for him once more, with Lamare Bogarde the chosen right-back in this predicted XI.
Bogarde started the clash against Young Boys and didn’t look massively out of place, with three duels won against the Swiss hosts.
3 CB – Ezri Konsa
The first change could see Carlos ditched for the might of Bayern tonight, after the Brazilian centre-back looked shaky throughout against Ipswich.
Only managing to win two duels alongside his failure to deal with the lively Delap, Ezri Konsa – who has previously been dubbed as a “Rolls Royce” by former Villa boss Dean Smith – might well be moved into the heart of defence to make up for Carlos being axed.
Konsa played the full 90 against Young Boys in this spot and stood firm throughout by helping his side keep a clean sheet, but also looked unfazed by the bright lights of the Champions League with just one misplaced pass on the night.
4 CB – Pau Torres
Pau Torres is also a player Emery will know he can rely on when it comes to big occasions such as tonight’s showdown with Bayern, with the Spanish defender boasting 13 Champions League games on his career CV to date.
Therefore, although he was equally porous against McKenna’s men, he will be given the nod to continue as one of the centre-backs alongside his new partner in Konsa.
5 LB – Ian Maatsen
Another change in defence could see Digne given a breather for Ian Maatsen to be unleashed, with Maatsen – who was dubbed “exceptional” by former teammate Simon Moore at Coventry City – perhaps keen to get one over on his former Burnley manager in Kompany if he is selected to start.
The former Chelsea youth product hasn’t quite set the world alight in a Villa shirt yet, but tonight’s clash with Bayern could be the best time for Maatsen to show off his blistering pace to catch the Bundesliga giants cold.
6 CM – Amadou Onana
Moving into the midfield spots in this predicted lineup, Amadou Onana will feel fairly assured that he will start tonight’s game against the visitors from Germany.
The ex-Everton midfielder scored late on versus Young Boys to help his team pick up a deserved 3-0 win, whilst also rarely misplacing a pass on the night, with just three of his 37 passes not reaching their intended target.
7 CM – Youri Tielemans
Much like Onana, Youri Tielemans will be confident that he will start for Emery’s men at Villa Park, having also showed off his goalscoring prowess last time out in the Champions League.
The Belgian star ran the show at points, away from his crucial opener, with 72 touches of the ball accumulated from the centre of the park, alongside also winning five duels to give his side some added protection at the back.
8 RM – Leon Bailey
Cash isn’t the only notable absentee from the Villa lineups at this moment in time, with John McGinn also currently sidelined.
Leon Bailey filled in for the Scotsman down the right against Ipswich and was somewhat quiet, failing to register a single shot on the Tractor Boys goal from his 64 minutes on the pitch.
But, much like Torres in defence, Bailey is well versed in what it takes to perform in big European competitions, having scored ten times in the Europa League previously in his career.
9 CAM – Morgan Rogers
Morgan Rogers finally got the Premier League strike he was craving last time out at Portman Road, with the 22-year-old attacking midfielder firing home a confident effort despite a sea of blue shirts attempting to stop him.
Rogers will now want to get his account in the Champions League up and running, having impressed against Young Boys in attack, with three shots registered and four key passes amassed as a constant livewire.
10 LM – Jacob Ramsey
Whilst Villa are unsure about the right flank of their side owing to injuries, Jacob Ramsey has certainly made that left-wing spot his own over the last couple of games.
Ramsey would net Villa’s second of the night away at Young Boys and was a menace for Ipswich to contain last time out in league action, with the homegrown youngster completing all of his dribbles in Suffolk.
