Young Boys vs Aston Villa Prediction: 17/9/2024

Young Boys are making their return to the Champions League after a year’s absence and will be aiming to finally make progress by reaching the Round of 16. The Swiss champions, who secured their 17th league title last season, have not been at their best in the domestic league this season. Before the international break, they recorded their third consecutive draw in a 1-1 match against Lausanne, following two earlier 2-2 draws against Yverdon and Zürich.

Worse still, they are yet to register a win in the league, with 3 losses and 3 draws so far. Despite their struggles, Young Boys showed a different side in the Champions League qualifying play-offs by eliminating Galatasaray with a 3-2 win in the first leg and a 1-0 victory in the return leg. Last weekend, they continued their Swiss Cup campaign, defeating Vevey in the 1/16th finals after a 10-0 win against Printse-Nendaz in the previous round.

Aston Villa, under Unai Emery, are looking to perform well in the Champions League after finishing fourth in the Premier League last season. They also hope to bounce back from their Conference League final loss to Olympiakos. Villa started their Premier League campaign fairly well, securing two away victories against West Ham (2-1) and Leicester (2-1) before the international break.

However, they did suffer one home defeat to Arsenal (2-0). Last weekend, they played at home against Everton, looking to solidify their season start.

For Young Boys, there are a few injury concerns. Conte is likely to miss out with a knee injury, along with Janko, young midfielder Lakomy, and defender Patric Pfeiffer (on loan from Augsburg). However, they can rely on their in-form player, Congolese international Ganvoula, who has scored 3 goals in 4 league matches, as well as striker Cédric Itten, who scored 10 goals and provided 3 assists last season.

Swiss international Joel Monteiro, who netted 12 goals last season, is yet to score in this campaign but remains a key threat, having already scored twice in the Champions League play-off against Galatasaray.

On the Aston Villa side, they received bad news regarding Leon Bailey, who sustained an injury before the international break. He joins an injury list that includes Polish international full-back Cash, former Nantes player Diego Carlos, and key players Mings and Kamara.

However, Unai Emery still has the reliable Emiliano Martinez in goal, as well as new signings Maatsen (from BVB) and Barkley (from Luton). Striker Ollie Watkins, who scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists in last season’s Premier League, will be key, along with the efficient Lucas Digne, who performed well for Belgium recently. The midfield could see Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans starting.

 

Prediction

Young Boys have realistic ambitions in the Champions League, with six wins from their last seven home matches providing a solid boost. In contrast, Aston Villa have struggled in recent away games, losing nine of their last 12 trips.

Prediction: Young Boys 2-1 Aston Villa