FC Basel vs Aston Villa: Match preview, head-to-head, team news, key players | OneFootball

Aston Villa visit Basel in the Europa League at St Jakob-Park on Thursday.

Basel lost 2-1 at Genk last time out, while Villa beat Young Boys by the same scoreline at home.

Match preview

Basel have picked up just five points from five Europa League games and are 24th in the standings, occupying the last play-off spot.

The Swiss side have won their two home games, scoring five goals and conceding once. Remarkably, they have not suffered a home defeat in the competition since 2015.

Basel must build on their impressive home record to edge out Villa and bolster their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage.

Unai Emery’s side defeated Premier League table-toppers Arsenal 2-1 over the weekend, extending their unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions.

Villa are joint-top of the standings, and a victory here would move them closer to the next round.

This fixture would provide a big test for the Villans, considering Basel’s strong record on their patch.

Head-to-head

Basel have faced Villa twice (D1, L1) in the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Team news

Basel head into this fixture with a clean bill of health.

Villa are sweating over the fitness of Evann Guessand, while Ross Barkley and Tyrone Mings are ruled out.

Key players

Basel

Xherdan Shaqiri: Has scored three goals in five Europa League games.

Marwin Hitz: The Swiss goalkeeper ranks fifth for goals prevented in the competition this term.

Aston Villa

Matty Cash: The Polish full-back has a goal and an assist in his last two games.

Marco Bizot: The busiest goalkeeper in the competition, sitting first for saves per game.

Stats from whoscored.com, 11v11.com & sofascore.com.