Premier League strugglers Aston Villa will be hoping to send out a statement to the rest of the teams currently involved in the relegation battle, by getting one over the reigning league champions Manchester City this weekend. The Villans’ most recent outing saw them suffer a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Southampton, and Ralph Hasenhuttl will surely be eager to put things right once again. Pep Guardiola’s side, on the other hand, are coming into this fixture on the back of a special away victory against Real Madrid – a result that is sure to have lifted the morale of the City squad.
Talking Tactics
Aston Villa
Dean Smith’s slightly diminished squad didn’t look like the kind that could perform any wonders in the Premier League going into it but has provided the fans with some welcome surprises along the way. The addition of Mbwana Samatta in the front-line has provided the creative midfielders with an added target to aim for, and the Tanzanian’s impact has been apparent to see. With the likes of Trezeguet and Jack Grealish at their disposal as well, it would certainly be possible for the home side to beat the champions, provided they use possession efficiently.
Manchester City
Travelling in the Champions League is never an easy fixture for any club. When that trip is to the Santiago Bernabeu, things become a lot trickier for the party involved. Manchester City though threw light on the actual situation at hand, and completely out-played Real Madrid in a short second-half spell. Expect the Citizens to rest some key names for this tie, but still maintain the same level of intensity and dedication they displayed to beat one of the best teams in world football.
Team News
Aston Villa
The injury to Wesley Moraes midway through the campaign came as a gutting blow to an aspiring club like Villa. Still, the winter acquisition of Tanzanian striker Mbwana Samatta has turned out to be a master-stroke. Elsewhere, key stars Tom Heaton and John McGinn both remain sidelined with long-term issues as well. Second-choice striker Kienan Davis and speedster Anwar El Ghazi are also facing potential periods out of first-team action.
Predicted Lineup: Nyland; Engels, Mings, Hause; Guilbert, Hourihane, Nakamba, Targett; Trezeguet, Samatta, Grealish
Manchester City
The biggest miss for Pep Guardiola’s side going into this weekend is undoubtedly the knock that was picked up by Aymeric Laporte in Madrid on Wednesday. The centre-half pulled up within the opening half and had to be replaced by Fernandinho. Leroy Sané is another player who is sure to miss out on this fixture. On the other hand, Raheem Sterling made it back in time for midweek, and could hence be in line for a start.
Predicted Lineup: Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Mendy; De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva, Silva, Aguero, Sterling
Key Men
Aston Villa
Despite the resurgence of Samatta, it has to be accepted that Jack Grealish has been this Villa side’s biggest attacking catalyst. The Englishman continues to impress week after week, and there’s no denying that he’s been one of the more consistent players in the league this season. The dribbler will have to be at his best if the Villans hope to upset this dynamic Manchester City midfield
Manchester City
Argentine striker Sergio Aguero was an unused substitute in the fixture against Real Madrid and is hence likely to start on the weekend. The veteran striker has unsurprisingly been in fine goalscoring form since the start of the campaign, and his importance as a member in this City squad cannot be underplayed. Expect the attacker to get a goal against Villa on the weekend.
