Frank Christian
Aston Villa is facing challenges as they prepare to host Juventus in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, hoping to break out of a winless streak. The team, led by Unai Emery, started the season strongly, aiming to replicate last season’s top-four finish, but has struggled recently, likely due to the demands of European competition. Injuries in the midfield have also left them vulnerable, creating significant gaps in their gameplay.
Villa has not secured a victory since their 2-0 win against Bologna in the Champions League over a month ago, resulting in a six-match stretch without a win. This includes a recent loss of 1-0 to Club Brugge. Despite the challenging results, they remain eighth in the Champions League standings, with a chance to secure advancement to the Round of 16 if they can turn things around soon.
Juventus is close behind, sitting at 11th in the standings, struggling with their own set of challenges. Since their 3-2 victory against RB Leipzig, they have won only three out of nine matches. Injuries are impacting their performance significantly.
Aston Villa vs. Juventus: Predicted Lineups and Team News
Young right-back Lamare Bogarde was substituted at halftime during their match against Crystal Palace over the weekend. His replacement, Matty Cash, is expected to start in the upcoming match.
On the injury front, Ezri Konsa is doubtful due to a hip issue and may not play. Meanwhile, Jacob Ramsey is still recovering from a hamstring injury, along with Boubacar Kamara, who sustained a similar injury in the Liverpool match. Unai Emery noted that Amadou Onana is also uncertain due to a minor injury.
Predicted Aston Villa lineup (4-4-2): E. Martinez (GK) — Cash, Carlos, Torres, Maatsen — Bailey, Barkley, Tielemans, McGinn — Rogers, Watkins
Injuries: Konsa (hip), Ramsey (hamstring), Kamara (hamstring), Onana (knock)
Suspensions: None
Juventus is also dealing with numerous injuries. Brazilian defender Bremer is out for the season with an ACL injury, and although Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik is returning to training, he is not expected to play just yet.
Both Douglas Luiz and Nico Gonzalez are managing thigh injuries and are likely not to feature in this match. The major concern is star striker Dusan Vlahovic, who is recovering from a muscle injury and will likely only make the bench.
The team faced additional challenges during the recent matchup against AC Milan, with players like Tim Weah returning late from international duty. However, he was able to come off the bench and is expected to be in the starting lineup after a successful stint with the USMNT. Notably, Nicolo Fagioli has lost his starting role in midfield to new signing Khephren Thuram.
Predicted Juventus lineup (4-3-3): Di Gregorio (GK) — Weah, Kalulu, Gatti, Cambiaso — Locatelli, Thuram, McKennie — Koopmeiners, Yildiz, Conceicao.
Injuries: Bremer (ACL), N. Gonzalez (thigh), Douglas Luiz (hamstring), Vlahovic (muscle)
Suspensions: None
Viewing Information for Aston Villa vs. Juventus
Here’s how to catch this Champions League clash in major regions around the world:
| TV Channel | Streaming | |
| USA | — | Paramount+ |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
| UK | TNT Sports 2 | discovery+ |
| Australia | — | Stan Sport |
| India | Sony TEN 1 | Sony LIV, JioTV |
