Basel meet Aston Villa in a huge league phase encounter in 2025-26 UEFA Europa League.
Victory would move Basel into the seeded knockout play-off spots, whilst third-placed Villa could go top if results elsewhere go in their favour.
Team News
Kaio Eduardo is a doubt for Basel as he continues to recover from an unspecified injury.
Villa will welcome Evan Guessand back into contention after he sat out their 2-1 Premier League victory at home to Arsenal, due to a knock.
Ross Barkley (knee) and Tyrone Mings (hamstring) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Basel host Villa at St Jakob’s Park, Basel, on Thursday 11 December at 9pm CET (8pm GMT), live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Basel are winless in two previous meetings against Villa in all competitions (D1, L1).
- Villa drew 1-1 in their only previous away trip to Basel in August 2001 in that year’s Intertoto Cup.
- Neither team have kept a clean sheet in this fixture.
- Three of Basel’s five goals in their two home games so far in the league phase were scored by Xherdan Shaqiri (W2).
- Villa’s last three league phase goals have been scored by Donyell Malen.
Prediction
Unbeaten at home within this competition since 2015, Basel certainly aren’t an team to underestimate but there is no denying their inconsistency in this league phase with two wins and three losses, yet this will be their toughest test of the phase in terms of opposition.
Villa meanwhile are coming into this trip off the back of a clinical home win over Arsenal domestically in which they were the more attacking team in terms of press and movement, which paid off eventually after a small defensive error allowed the Gunners to equalise.
Unai Emery will certainly make some tweaks to his Villa team but if they can continue their current momentum, I fancy them to go and cause a mini upset in Basel.
Prediction: Basel 1-2 Aston Villa
Result: Basel 1-2 Aston Villa
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