Aston Villa v Freiburg Preview
Aston Villa and Freiburg face off this Wednesday, 20 May 2026, at 9.00 pm at Besiktas Park in Istanbul in the Europa League final. The match will be broadcast on the pay-TV channels TNT Sports, TNT Sports 1 and HBO MAX.

Aston Villa
Unai Emery’s side are enjoying a brilliant season. Last Friday, they beat Liverpool at Villa Park to mathematically secure their place in next season’s Champions League, regardless of the outcome of this final. The team have performed at a very high level throughout the campaign and are keen to cap off the year with the icing on the cake: European glory.
For this match, the Basque manager is not expected to make any changes to the line-up he has been using in recent weeks. Given the quality of their squad and their experience, they are the favourites, but they do not want to let their guard down. Furthermore, Emery is a master in this type of fixture, and he knows that if his players perform at their best, they will be Europa League champions.
Aston Villa players injured for the Europa League final
Barkley, Alysson, Onana and Kamara
Suspended Aston Villa players for the Europa League final
Aston Villa have no suspended players for this match
Aston Villa’s latest results
- Nottingham Forest 1-0 Aston Villa
- Aston Villa 1-2 Tottenham
- Aston Villa 4-0 Nottingham Forest
- Burnley 2-2 Aston Villa
- Aston Villa 4-2 Liverpool
Freiburg
Freiburg, for their part, finished the Bundesliga in seventh place, so they know they have already secured a European spot for next season. For now, they are assured of a place in the Conference League, but they know that if they win the Europa League, they will play in the Champions League. Their season has been somewhat more inconsistent than last season, but they have managed to finish the campaign on a high and with a positive feeling.
Furthermore, for this match, Julian Schuster will only be without Suzuki, so he will be able to field his strongest line-up. Their weakness this season has been their away form, but in this fixture they will have the support of their fans and are keen to end the season on a high. The German manager is aware of the difficulty of the match and the strength of the opposition, but he also knows that if they play a near-perfect game, they will have a chance.
Freiburg players injured for the Europa League final
Suzuki
Freiburg players suspended for the Europa League final
Freiburg have no suspended players for this match
Freiburg’s latest results
- Braga 2-1 Freiburg
- Freiburg 1-1 Wolfsburg
- Freiburg 3-1 Braga
- Hamburg 3-2 Freiburg
- Freiburg 4-1 RB Leipzig
Aston Villa v Freiburg: statistics
Aston Villa have not won a European title for 44 years, and Unai Emery will be aiming for his fifth Europa League title. In their last three matches, the Birmingham side have conceded just one draw and scored a total of ten goals. Freiburg, meanwhile, have gone nine matches without keeping a clean sheet, during which they have conceded 14 goals. The German side are chasing their first-ever European title.
Aston Villa - Freiburg: predictions
Aston Villa are clear favourites to win the Europa League. It is no coincidence that they have a squad with greater potential, and their fourth-place finish in the Premier League proves it. Furthermore, Unai Emery is the most successful manager in Europa League history. Freiburg are hopeful of securing their first European title, but the Germans are well aware of their opponents’ superior quality. It would be a surprise if Aston Villa did not win the Europa League.





