FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Match Preview
A decisive Europa League encounter takes place at St. Jakob-Park on Thursday, 11 December 2025. Aston Villa arrive in Switzerland flying high, sitting 3rd in the League Phase table with 12 points and riding a stunning five-match winning streak in all competitions. In contrast, FC Basel are clinging to survival in 24th place with 6 points—the absolute cutoff for the knockout playoffs. A win for Villa could secure a direct path to the Round of 16, while Basel desperately need points to avoid crashing out of Europe entirely.
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Match Info
- Competition: UEFA Europa League (League Phase – Matchday 6)
- Venue: St. Jakob-Park, Basel (Capacity: 38,512)
- Date: Thursday, 11 December 2025
- Kickoff: 21:00 CET | 20:00 GMT | 01:30 IST (Friday)
- Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük (NED) – Expected
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Match Stakes
FC Basel (24th — 6 pts):
- Win → Jump to 9 pts, securing a playoff spot and potentially moving up to ~16th
- Draw → Highly risky; leaves them vulnerable to dropping out of the top 24
- Loss → Likely elimination if teams below (25th-36th) pick up points
Aston Villa (3rd — 12 pts):
- Win → Moves to 15 pts, solidifying a Top 8 finish (Direct Round of 16)
- Draw → Likely keeps them in the Top 8 but risks dropping to the playoff round
- Loss → Drops into the playoff zone (9th-16th); a setback to momentum
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Team News
FC Basel:
- Sigua G. — Out (Loan terms/Injury)
- Hunziker A. — Out (Knee Injury)
- Essiam E. — Out (Muscle)
- Shaqiri X. — Available (Captain & Key Playmaker)
Aston Villa:
- Mings T. — Out (Hamstring)
- Barkley R. — Out (Knee)
- Martinez E. — Questionable (Back pain – likely rested)
- Cash M. — Available (Returned from rest)
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
FC Basel
- 07/12 — 2–1 vs Winterthur (League)
- 04/12 — 3–1 vs Grand-Saconnex (Cup)
- 30/11 — 0–0 vs St. Gallen (League)
- 28/11 — 1–2 vs Genk (Europa League)
- 23/11 — 1–1 vs Grasshoppers (League)
Aston Villa
- 06/12 — 2–1 vs Arsenal (Premier League)
- 04/12 — 4–3 vs Brighton (Premier League)
- 30/11 — 1–0 vs Wolves (Premier League)
- 27/11 — 2–1 vs Young Boys (Europa League)
- 23/11 — 2–1 vs Leeds United (Premier League)
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Head-to-Head (Last Meetings)
- 21/08/2001 — Aston Villa 4–1 FC Basel (Intertoto Cup)
- 07/08/2001 — FC Basel 1–1 Aston Villa (Intertoto Cup)
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
FC Basel (4-2-3-1)
Hitz M.; Vouilloz N., Barisic A., van Breemen F., Schmid D.; Leroy L., Metinho; Otele P., Shaqiri X., Traore B.; Ajeti A.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
Bizot M.; Cash M., Konsa E., Torres P., Maatsen I.; Onana A., Tielemans Y.; Bailey L., Rogers M., McGinn J.; Watkins O.
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Impact Bench
FC Basel: Kevin Carlos (Physical presence), Soticek (Winger pace)
Aston Villa: Duran J. (Super-sub goalscorer), Philogene J. (Dribbling skill)
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Tactical Analysis
FC Basel
The Swiss side relies heavily on the brilliance of Xherdan Shaqiri to unlock defenses. Playing at home, they will look to feed him in the “hole” between Villa’s midfield and defense. However, Basel’s defensive transition is a concern; they often struggle against pacey wingers, which could be fatal against Villa’s wide threats.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery’s men are experts at baiting the press and hitting fast in transition. With Morgan Rogers driving through the middle and Watkins stretching the backline, Villa will target the space behind Basel’s full-backs, Schmid and Vouilloz. Expect Villa to control possession but be ruthless on the counter-attack if Basel overcommits.
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Key Battles
- Shaqiri vs Onana — creative genius vs midfield destroyer
- Ajeti vs Torres — physical battle for space
- Schmid vs Bailey — pace mismatch on the flank
- Watkins vs Barisic — movement vs positioning
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Spotlight Players
FC Basel — Xherdan Shaqiri
The Swiss legend returned home to make a difference in nights like this. His set-piece delivery and long-range shooting are Basel’s best hope of upsetting the Premier League giants.
Aston Villa — Morgan Rogers
The youngster has been a revelation this season. His ability to carry the ball from deep and link play with Watkins makes him the engine of Villa’s attack.
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Prediction
FC Basel 1–3 Aston Villa
Basel will fight hard in front of their home crowd, but the quality gap is significant. Aston Villa are in red-hot form, beating Arsenal recently, and their attack should be too fast and clinical for a Basel defense that has struggled to keep clean sheets.
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Betting Insights
- Both Teams to Score — YES
- Over 2.5 Goals — Likely
- Result — Aston Villa Win
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — Where to Watch
- Switzerland: Blue Sport, SRF
- UK: TNT Sports
- USA: Paramount+, CBS Sports
- International: DAZN (Select Regions)
FC Basel vs Aston Villa — FAQs
Q: When is the FC Basel vs Aston Villa match?
A: The match kicks off on Thursday, 11 December 2025, at 21:00 CET (local time).
Q: Where is FC Basel vs Aston Villa being played?
A: The match takes place at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland.
Q: Is Emi Martinez playing for Aston Villa?
A: He is doubtful due to back pain and may be rested for Marco Bizot.
Q: How can I watch FC Basel vs Aston Villa live?
A: Viewers in the UK can watch on TNT Sports. In Switzerland, the match is live on Blue Sport.
Q: What happens if Basel lose?
A: If Basel lose and teams below them win, they could be eliminated from the Europa League.
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