Champions League | League Stage

Dec 10, 2024 at 8pm UK

Red Bull Arena

RB Leipzigvs.Aston Villa

Match preview

Aston Villa had a great start to their first Champions League campaign, winning three games without conceding a goal. However, they've only managed to pick up one more point from their last two games in Europe's top club competition.

The Villans had a rough patch in the league, losing to Club Brugge in Belgium and drawing with Juventus at home. The loss cost them their top-eight spot in the league phase standings.

Even so, Unai Emery's side have kept four clean sheets from five games so far. The only time Emiliano Martinez has been beaten was by a Club Brugge penalty in quite bizarre circumstances.

Since they were held by Juve last month, the Birmingham club have put an end to an eight-game winless run across all competitions. They recently posted consecutive home wins against Brentford and Southampton in the Premier League.

Jhon Duran, who scored Villa's winner against Bayern Munich earlier this season, netted the only goal in the latter contest as they scraped past Saints on Saturday. They didn't fully capitalise on their dominance, but they still secured three points.

Duran is often used as a 'super-sub' and is also his side's top scorer in the Champions League, with two goals. He has attempted more shots (nine) than any of his teammates despite only being on the pitch for 35% of Villa's playing time so far.

Emery's team have climbed back into the top half of the Premier League table, so they're now heading for Germany with the knowledge that even a draw would surely secure them a place in the play-offs.

Leipzig are in a pretty bad spot, having lost all five of their opening games. If they want to stay in the competition, they'll need to win their next match.

Four of those losses were by a slim one-goal margin against tough opponents: Atlético Madrid, Juventus, Liverpool and Inter Milan. They also lost 3-1 to Celtic in Glasgow during a dismal six-game winless streak throughout November.

If they don't get anything from Villa, it'll be the longest losing streak the Saxony side has had in the Champions League. It'll also be the longest for any German club since 2003, when Bayer Leverkusen lost seven games in a row.

Despite all those setbacks, star striker Benjamin Sesko has still been a bright spark for Leipzig, scoring three of their four goals in the competition this season. He found the net again at the weekend, as Marco Rose's men beat Holstein Kiel 2-0 in the Bundesliga.

Just days after ending their long wait for a win by knocking Eintracht Frankfurt out of the DFB-Pokal, strikes from Sesko and substitute Andre Silva secured their spot in Germany's top four. Die Roten Bullen are now just three points behind second-placed Frankfurt.

Leipzig have actually lost just three of their last 27 domestic matches, winning 17. However, those defeats have all come during their last five league games, so Rose still has to prove his doubters wrong.

Recent Performance

RB Leipzig Champions League form:LLLLL

RB Leipzig form (all competitions):DLLLWW

Aston Villa Champions League form:WWWLD

Aston Villa form (all competitions):LDDLWW

Team News

Leon Bailey, who used to play for Leverkusen, hurt his hamstring during Aston Villa's win against Southampton on the weekend. He'll be out for a couple of weeks.

The visitors have most of their main men available, as Amadou Onana returned to the squad on Saturday following a foot injury. Only Jacob Ramsey (hamstring) joins Bailey in the treatment room at Bodymoor Heath.

England forward Morgan Rogers is one of only five men to have completed double figures for both dribbles (18) and chances created from open play (10) in this season's Champions League. He joins an impressive list that also features Vinicius Junior, Florian Wirtz, Savinho and Johan Bakayoko.

On top of his European success, Jhon Duran has now scored six Premier League goals from outside the box since the start of last season. With his latest strike, the Colombian striker will be hoping to keep his place ahead of Ollie Watkins.

Leipzig have a few players out, including Castello Lukeba, who is suspended for one match and is also struggling with a thigh problem.

Xavi Simons, who's an important playmaker, is still out with an ankle injury. Marco Rose also has to do without El Chadaille Bitshiabu (muscular), Eljif Elmas (hamstring), Yussuf Poulsen (thigh) and Germany full-back David Raum (ankle).

Up front, Lois Openda hasn't found the back of the net in Europe this season, despite scoring 24 league goals last term. Rose can also call upon Antonio Nusa, who set up three goals in last week's cup win, and Benjamin Sesko.

He's already scored against Atlético Madrid and Juventus, and he's got three goals and two assists in the Bundesliga, plus five strikes for Slovenia in the UEFA Nations League.

Possible starting lineup

RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:

Gulacsi; Geertruida, Seiwald, Orban, Henrichs; Baumgartner, Haidara, Vermeeren, Nusa; Sesko, Openda

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:

Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Philogene, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins