2025-26 UEFA Europa League: League Phase – Fenerbahce vs Aston Villa

Fenerbahce face Aston Villa in their penultimate league phase clash in the 2025-26 UEFA Europa League.

Victory would lift Fenerbahce into the top eight for at least a few hours, whilst Villa can go top with a win if Lyon and Midtjylland both slip up elsewhere.

 

Team News 

Sebastian Szymanski is ruled out for Fenerbahce with a groin injury.

Archie Brown (toe), Levent Mercan (hamstring), Matteo Guendouzi,  Mert Gunok and Anthony Musaba (all ineligible) are sidelined.

Villa could welcome Jadon Sancho back after he missed their Premier League defeat against Everton due to illness.

John McGinn however is ruled out after he suffered a knee injury during that match.

Amadou Onana (hamstring), Boubacar Kamara and Ross Barkley (both knee) remain absent.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Fenerbahce host Villa at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on Thursday 22 January at 8:45pm TRT (5:45pm GMT), live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Fenerbahce have lost their two previous meetings against Aston Villa in this competition (L2), albeit under its former name – UEFA Cup in September 1977.
• Aston Villa won 2-0 in their only previous visit to Fenerbahce in September 1977.
• Fenerbahce have conceded six goals without reply in their two previous meetings against Villa.
• Fenerbahce has kept one clean sheet in three league phase fixtures at home this season (W2, D1).
• Evann Guessand has scored in Villa’s last two away matches in the league phase (W1, L1).

 

Prediction

Currently sat two points adrift of the top eight, Fenerbahce know that this is realistically must-win if want to give themselves a strong chance at such a finish, but this is their toughest fixture of the phase so they will need to be at their clinical best given that they’ve lost once at home this season.

Villa meanwhile just lacked patience, composure and accuracy in their end product against Everton in an otherwise dominant performance, where a quick pair of defensive errors cost them a draw so I expect more of the same but their defence can’t afford to produce any silliness here.

On that note, this is going to be a tough trip for Villa but I do think that they can get a draw out of this at minimum as Turkey isn’t often the easiest away trip for English clubs.

Prediction: Fenerbahce 1-1 Aston Villa

Result: Fenerbahce 0-1 Aston Villa