2 hours ago
2 ARTICLE AD
Aston Villa’s Champions League adventure continues with an enticing fixture against Serie A heavyweights Juventus at Villa Park.
Wednesday’s clash (kick-off, 8.00pm) is the next opportunity for a return to winning ways for the Villans, who have gone six games without success.
However, Unai Emery’s side have taken nine points from four Champions League matches and are two points better off than Juventus, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Lille in their last European encounter.
Aston Villa v Juventus betting tips
Aston Villa to win @ 5/4Ollie Watkins to score the first goal @ 5/1Manuel Locatelli to be carded 21/10talkSPORT BET - Bet £10 and get £30 in free bets - CLAIM HERE*
Villa can resume winning ways
Aston Villa snapped a four-game losing streak with Saturday’s 2-2 Premier League draw at home to Crystal Palace and they can end a six-game winless run by defeating Juventus on Champions League matchday five.
Unai Emery’s side were disappointed with the weekend result against Palace, but they could take some positives away from the performance, which was generally high in intensity and should have been enough to secure maximum points.
The Villans have been hampered by injury problems, but there were a few positives at the weekend, with Pau Torres lasting the whole game and Matty Cash making his return off the substitutes’ bench.
Midfield has been a problem area, but Ross Barkley was one of their better players against the Eagles and capped off a solid display by scoring a 77th minute equaliser.
Villa’s squad seems to be getting healthier and they look in better shape for the Champions League resumption than Juve, who were without a recognised centre-forward for Saturday’s 0-0 draw away to AC Milan.
Injured attackers Dusan Vlahovic, Nico Fernandez and Arkadiusz Milik were out of contention at the weekend, forcing head coach Thiago Motta to deploy Weston McKennie and Teun Koopmeiners in advanced positions.
Neither were especially effective and Juve’s lack of firepower could hurt them against Villa, who look a solid bet to bag a fourth Champions League win in five.
In-form Ollie can do the damage
Ollie Watkins has been Villa’s main man for several seasons and he looks their best hope of piercing a well-organised Juve defence.
The 28-year-old has looked sharp for club and country in recent weeks and can end his wait for a first Champions League goal.
Locatelli may lose his cool
Energetic Juve midfielder Manuel Locatelli likes to make his presence felt and will have a key role to play in stemming the flow of Villa attacks.
Locatelli was surprisingly left out of Italy’s Euro 2024 squad, but he has returned to favour with the Azzurri and featured in each of their November Nations League matches at home to Belgium and away to France.
He is a versatile player with many attributes, including the ability to play a killer pass. However, Locatelli also makes plenty of tackles and is top of Juve’s Serie A card count with four cautions.
The 26-year-old has been booked in two of his last four club appearances and looks a tempting price to enter Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano’s notebook.
Odds correct at time of publish and subject to change
*18+ New customers only. Opt in & bet £10+ via mobile on any football market at 2.00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 6x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamCare – www.gamcare.org.ukGamble Aware – www.gambleaware.orgFor help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org
