EUROPA FINAL PREVIEW: Freiburg vs Aston Villa

Villa will be looking to end their 30-year major trophy drought, while the German outfit will be playing their first European final in their history.

Road To Final

The Villans come into this clash with pedigree, and their manager, Unai Emery, knows how to win this tournament, as he has won it four times with Villarreal and Sevilla. Emery will be looking to win his fifth Europa League title.

Freiburg has reached this season’s final by playing with tactical structure, discipline, and teamwork. Julian Schuster’s troops arrive in this encounter with the underdog tag, which is something that will ease pressure on them even though they will be looking to win their first major European trophy.

The English side are the favourites after they had a dominant Europa League campaign, winning 12 of their 14 games, scoring 28 goals with eight clean sheets; they had the best defensive record in the competition.

Aston Villa Player to Watch

Emery’s biggest attacking weapon coming into this is Ollie Watkins. The 30-year-old has been in excellent form this season, playing 53 matches, scoring 19 goals, and making five assists.

His ability to move behind defenders and clinical finishing will be key in trying to break the defense of the opponents.

Another player that will be important for the Villans is Youri Tielemans. He has quietly controlled the tempo in Europe this season with progressive passing and composure under pressure. Emery trusts him to dictate rhythm when Villa needs calm possession.

Emiliano Martínez always steps up in big finals, and he will be aiming to make his nine clean sheets in the competition. The Argentine goalkeeper’s reflexes and command of the penalty area. If the match becomes tense or reaches penalties, Villa will trust Martínez completely.

Freiburg Players To Watch

Vincenzo Grifo will be key for Freiburg’s set pieces, and Villa should be careful not to create unnecessary fouls in the danger zone. Grifo’s delivery and ability to create chances from wide areas have been crucial throughout the Europa League run.

Another player that Emery must be worried about is the 20-year-old, Johan Manzambi; he has emerged as one of this team’s breakout talents in that midfield position.

Verdict

The German side’s discipline and teamwork are what will make them competitive in this final, but Villa’s attack will break them if they are not good enough. The experience of Emery in the Europa League will be crucial in leading the Premier League side to victory; the back will to win by 2-1.

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