Aston Villa is chasing the shadows of West Ham United’s triumph in the previous season’s Europa Conference League. Their next challenge unfolds against Legia Warsaw this Thursday.
In Group E, they face off against Legia Warsaw, AZ Alkmaar, and Zrinjski Mostar. The pressure mounts for both teams to secure an early win in Poland.
Match Preview
When the Europa Conference League emerged, skepticism hovered around its value. However, seeing the success of Roma and West Ham has shifted this perspective, with clubs like Villa viewing it as their ticket to European prominence.
Boosted by notable additions, Villa eyes a top-four finish in the Premier League this season. Their performance so far, with nine points from five matches, indicates their potential to stay in the race.
Unai Emery, a European trophy specialist, directs his focus on conquering this competition, setting an initial target of progressing from Group E.
While drawing against last season’s semi-finalists AZ is not ideal, Emery remains confident that his team can emulate West Ham’s 2022-23 efforts.
In the playoff round, Villa dominated Hibernian with an 8-0 aggregate scoreline. However, their vulnerability showed in defeats against Newcastle and Liverpool, conceding eight goals.
Legia Warsaw, though massive underdogs against a team of Villa’s caliber, find hope in Villa’s defensive gaps.
The Polish side displayed resilience through three thrilling qualifying ties against Ordabasy, Austria Vienna, and Midtjylland, securing their place in the group stage, even after conceding 13 goals.
Domestically, they’ve been consistent, collecting 14 points from six matches, staying unbeaten and conceding only three goals.
However, Legia faces a free-scoring Villa at Stadion Wojska Polskiego, having kept only one clean sheet in their last eight outings across all competitions.
Form Guide
Legia Warsaw Europa Conference League form: D W L W D W
Legia Warsaw form (all competitions): W W D W W D
Aston Villa Europa Conference League form: W W
Aston Villa form (all competitions): W W W W L W
Team News
Emery is expected to shuffle his Villa XI, hinting at Youri Tielemans getting game time in this competition.
Clement Lenglet and Alex Moreno may feature in defense. In the attack, Leon Bailey and Jhon Duran, after his stunning goal against Crystal Palace, aim for a spot.
Although second-choice goalkeeper Robin Olsen got some playtime during the playoffs, Emiliano Martinez is likely to start on Thursday.
Runjaic may not make many changes to his Legia starting lineup, but the early substitutions against Piast Gliwice suggest alternatives are in contention.
Former Tottenham Hotspur youth Tomas Pekhart, now 34, has been in form, scoring eight times this season. Gil Dias may also start, having joined on loan from Stuttgart. Jurgen Celhaka is an option in central midfield if fresh legs and a defensive-minded player are needed.
Possible Lineups
Legia Warsaw:
Tobiasz;
Ribeiro, Jedrzejczyk, Pankov;
Wszolek, Elitim, Josue, Slisz, Kun;
Muci, Pekhart
Aston Villa:
Martinez;
Cash, Konsa, Lenglet, Moreno;
Tielemans, Kamara, McGinn;
Bailey, Duran, Diaby
Predicted Outcome: Legia Warsaw 1-4 Aston Villa
Legia, buoyed by their qualifying exploits, are eager to test their mettle against the tournament favorites. However, Villa is expected to dominate, much like they did against Hibs, making a resounding statement.