Freiburg vs Aston Villa Preview & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Europa League | Final
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The first UEFA competition final of the 2025/26 season comes at the Tupras Stadium in Istanbul in Turkiye in the UEFA Europa League as Freiburg take on Aston Villa.
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Freiburg preview: Freiburg in form
Freiburg come into this one on the back of a 4-1 hammering of RB Leipzig at the Europa-Park Stadion in the Baden-Wurttemberg at the weekend, seeing them push themselves back into the top seven in the Bundesliga to ensure European football next season.
They have qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League but that could become UEFA Champions League football should they win here and complete a remarkable story under Julian Schuster, who has continued the brilliant work of Christian Streich.
Aston Villa preview: A brilliant season
Unai Emery has once again qualified Aston Villa for the UEFA Champions League, with the Villans confirming a top five spot in the Premier League at the weekend as they entertainingly defeated Liverpool by four goals to two at Villa Park.
The visitors had stuttered in the league prior to that much-needed victory, having got themselves into a European final with an emphatic 4-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest in Birmingham in the semi-finals earlier this month.
Freiburg team news: A couple of injuries
Japan international attacking midfielder Yuito Suzuki, who will still just about be at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has suffered a collarbone injury and so is sidelined.
Alongside Johan Manzambi, Suzuki has been key for Freiburg during their run. Versatile defender Max Rosenfelder is also unavailable for the Germans.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Atubolu; Treu, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo; Eggestein, Hofler; Beste, Manzambi, Scherhant; Matanovic
Unavailable: Rosenfelder (Injured), Suzuki (Injured)
Questionable:
Aston Villa team news: Lindelof a doubt
In the second-leg of their semi-final against Forest, Victor Lindelof was a surprise starter in defensive midfield but the Sweden international is now a doubt for the Villans.
In defensive midfield, Villa do have some key injuries as both Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana remain sidelined with Ross Barkley and Douglas Luiz perhaps competing for a starting berth if Lindelof is unavailable.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Barkley, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Sancho; Watkins
Unavailable: Kamara (Injured), Onana (Injured), Alysson (Fitness)
Questionable: Mings (Injured), Lindelof (Injured)
Freiburg vs Aston Villa prediction
Freiburg have pulled off some impressive results this season and reaching a European final does feel as though the natural conclusion of their consistent upwards trajectory and punching above their weight over the last decade. Villa head to Turkiye with their key men, such as John McGinn, Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins, having found some excellent form and they will have to be viewed as the favourites for this one.
Freiburg vs Aston Villa tip: Aston Villa to win
