Aston Villa vs Young Boys: Preview, Prediction, Lineups

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Match Preview

The lights of Villa Park shine bright this Thursday as Aston Villa welcome Swiss champions Young Boys for a crucial Europa League encounter. Unai Emery’s side are flying high, sitting 6th in the league phase table and fresh off a morale-boosting 2-1 away win at Leeds United. With their European pedigree growing under the “King of Europa,” Villa will look to cement their place in the top 8 automatic qualification spots.

In contrast, Young Boys arrive in Birmingham with a point to prove. Currently 22nd and clinging to a playoff spot, the Swiss outfit destroyed Winterthur 5-0 domestically last weekend but suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to PAOK in their last European outing. They will need to be perfect to get a result against a Villa team that has turned their home ground into a fortress.

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Quick Match Info

Fixture: Aston Villa vs Young Boys
Competition: UEFA Europa League (League Phase – Matchday 5)
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham (Capacity: 42,789)
Date: Thursday, 27 November 2025
Kickoff Time: 20:00 GMT / 21:00 CET / 01:30 IST (Friday)
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria)
TV Channel (UK): TNT Sports
TV Channel (USA): Paramount+, CBS Sports Network
TV Channel (India): Sony Sports Network, SonyLIV, JioTV
Live Stream: Discovery+ (UK), Paramount+ (USA), SonyLIV (India)

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Match Context (2025/26 Season)

Aston Villa:

Position: 6th in Europa League (9 Points).
Form: Strong. They have won 4 of their last 5 games in all competitions, including a 4-0 thrashing of Bournemouth and a solid 2-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv. The only blemish was a 2-0 loss to Liverpool.
Current Challenge: Managing squad rotation. With big Premier League games coming up, Emery will want to wrap this game up early to rest key legs.

Young Boys:

Position: 22nd in Europa League (6 Points).
Form: Volatile. They are scoring for fun domestically (9 goals in last 2 games) but look fragile in Europe, evidenced by the 0-4 loss to PAOK.
Current Challenge: Their away record. The trip to Villa Park is daunting for a team that struggles to keep clean sheets on the road.

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — What’s at Stake

For Aston Villa:

Top 8 Security: A win takes them to 12 points, putting them firmly in control of an automatic Round of 16 spot and avoiding the treacherous playoff round.

For Young Boys:

Survival: Sitting 22nd is precarious (the cutoff is 24th). A point here would be massive for their hopes of staying in the competition.

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Team Form

Aston Villa (Last 5 Matches):

W vs Leeds United (2-1)
W vs Bournemouth (4-0)
W vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (2-0 – EL)
L vs Liverpool (0-2)
W vs Manchester City (1-0)

Young Boys (Last 5 Matches):

W vs Winterthur (5-0)
W vs St. Gallen (4-1)
L vs PAOK (0-4 – EL)
D vs Basel (0-0)
D vs Grasshoppers (3-3)

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Team News

Aston Villa:

Tyrone Mings: Out (Hamstring Injury – Out until Jan 2026).
Amadou Onana: Out (Injured – Late Dec return).
Ross Barkley: Out (Ineligible/Squad regulations).
Ian Maatsen: Available. Likely to feature if Digne is rotated.
Morgan Rogers: Available. In red-hot form and expected to start.

Young Boys:

Armin Gigovic: Suspended (A huge loss in midfield).
Edimilson Fernandes: Out (Calf Injury – Mid-Dec return).
Facinet Conte: Out (Muscle Injury).
Mats Seiler: Out (Injured).
Ebrima Colley: Doubtful (Knock).
Joel Monteiro: Doubtful (Knock – Key attacker).

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Head to Head

17 Sep 2024: Young Boys 0–3 Aston Villa (Champions League)
Analysis: Villa dominated the last meeting in Switzerland comfortably. At home, they will be even more confident.

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Predicted Lineups

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1):

Emery fields a strong XI to secure the points. Kamara anchors the midfield in Onana’s absence.

GK: Emiliano Martínez (C)
RB: Matty Cash
CB: Ezri Konsa
CB: Pau Torres
LB: Lucas Digne
CDM: Boubacar Kamara
CDM: Youri Tielemans
RW: John McGinn
CAM: Morgan Rogers
LW: Emiliano Buendía
ST: Ollie Watkins

Young Boys (4-2-3-1):

With Gigovic suspended, Niasse or Males may step into the midfield pivot.

GK: Marvin Keller
RB: Saidy Janko
CB: Tanguy Zoukrou
CB: Sandro Lauper
LB: Jaouen Hadjam
CDM: Cheikh Niasse (Replacing suspended Gigovic)
CDM: Rayan Raveloson
RW: Christian Fassnacht
CAM: Alvyn Sanches
LW: Alan Virginius
ST: Chris Bedia

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Impact Bench Options

Aston Villa:

Jhon Durán: The Colombian super-sub is a menace. If Villa are leading, his physical play is perfect for killing the game on the counter.
Leon Bailey: Explosive pace to punish tired Swiss legs in the final 20 minutes.

Young Boys:

Meschack Elia: If fit, his speed is Young Boys’ best weapon on the break.
Darian Males: Offers creativity from the bench if they are chasing a goal.

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Tactical Outlook

Aston Villa:

Playing Style: Controlled Possession & High Line. Emery’s trademark high defensive line will compress the pitch. They will look to dominate the midfield battle through Tielemans and release Watkins into the channels.
Strength: Set Pieces. Villa are lethal from corners with the height of Pau Torres and Konsa. Young Boys have struggled to defend aerial balls in Europe.

Young Boys:

Playing Style: Direct Counter-Attack. Knowing Villa’s high line, Young Boys will try to play quick balls over the top for Virginius and Bedia. They cannot afford to sit back and defend for 90 minutes.
Weakness: Defensive Fragility. Conceding 4 against PAOK shows they crumble under pressure. Villa Park’s atmosphere could overwhelm them early.

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Key Battles

Matchup	Battle Type	Edge
Lucas Digne vs. Christian Fassnacht	Experience vs. Work Rate: Digne loves to attack. Fassnacht must track back, or Villa will overload that flank.	Aston Villa
Morgan Rogers vs. Sandro Lauper	Power vs. Positioning: Rogers is in incredible form. He will drive at the heart of the defense. Lauper must not dive in.	Aston Villa
Ezri Konsa vs. Chris Bedia	Physical Duel: Bedia is a handful physically. Konsa is smart and quick. If Konsa wins the first header, Bedia will be isolated.	Aston Villa

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Spotlight Players

Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa):

The breakout star of the season. His ability to carry the ball from midfield to attack is elite. With Young Boys missing key midfielders, Rogers should have the freedom of Villa Park to create chances.

Alvyn Sanches (Young Boys):

The creative heartbeat of the Swiss side. If Young Boys are to get anything from this game, Sanches needs to find pockets of space behind Villa’s midfield and feed the strikers.

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Fan Reactions

Aston Villa Fans:

“Another European night at Villa Park! We beat them 3-0 away, so 4-0 at home seems fair.”

“Rogers is going to run the show. Top 8 here we come!”

Young Boys Fans:

“PAOK was a disaster. We need a reaction against Villa.”

“Gigovic suspended is a huge blow. It’s going to be a long night.”

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Match-Defining Factors

The High Line: Villa’s high line is high-risk. If Virginius times his run perfectly just once, Young Boys could snatch a shock lead.
Midfield Control: Without Gigovic, Young Boys lack bite in the middle. Tielemans and Kamara should dominate possession comfortably.
Villa’s relentless start: Emery’s teams often try to kill the game in the first 30 minutes at home. If Villa score early, it could be a rout.

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Prediction

Score Prediction: Aston Villa 3–0 Young Boys

Betting Insights:

Outcome: Aston Villa to Win (-1 Handicap).
Total Goals: Over 2.5 Goals (Villa are potent; Young Boys leak goals in Europe).
Anytime Goalscorer: Ollie Watkins (Due a big European goal).

Analysis: The gulf in quality is significant. Aston Villa are a top Premier League side with a manager who owns this competition. Young Boys are spirited but defensively naive at this level. Missing their key midfielder Gigovic makes their task almost impossible. Expect a comfortable, professional victory for the Villans.

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — Final Word

Aston Villa are building something special under Unai Emery, and this match is another stepping stone towards European glory. Young Boys will fight, but Villa Park is one of the toughest grounds to visit right now. Expect the hosts to put on a show and take a giant step towards the Round of 16.

Aston Villa vs Young Boys — FAQs

When is the Aston Villa vs Young Boys match?

The match kicks off on Thursday, 27 November 2025, at 20:00 GMT (Friday 01:30 IST).

Is Amadou Onana playing?

No, Amadou Onana is out with an injury until late December.

Who is suspended for Young Boys?

Key midfielder Armin Gigovic is suspended for this match.

Where can I watch the match in India?

You can watch live on Sony Sports Network and stream on SonyLIV or JioTV.

Call to Action — SportsphereArena Community

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