This article contains affiliate links to advertisers. Gamble Aware 18+
FC Basel have made an inconsistent start to their Europa League campaign, accumulating six points from their opening five matches.
The reigning Swiss champions were beaten by Freiburg on the opening matchday, but quickly recovered to edge past fellow Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart. A 2-0 reverse at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium then followed, before Basel once again bounced back to overcome Romanian giants FCSB. The topsy-turvy nature of their current continental exploits continued with a narrow defeat to Genk in Belgium, as the RotBlau registered a third consecutive Europa League away loss.
Those results leave Basel in 24th position after five rounds of fixtures, suggesting they’re on course to sneak into the knockout stages.
Aston Villa’s ambitions are a little greater, as they look to secure automatic qualification to the last sixteen. Unai Emery’s men are currently well-placed to achieve this objective, sitting third after recording four wins in their opening five European outings this term.
The Villains started out with a slender victory over Coppa Italia holders Bologna, before impressively navigating past Feyenoord in Rotterdam. A shock 2-1 defeat to Dutch outsiders Go Ahead Eagles threatened to derail their momentum, but Villa swiftly returned to winning ways by beating Maccabi Tel Aviv and Young Boys (the only other Swiss representative in this season’s Europa League) on home soil. Having lost just two of their last fifteen matches across all competitions, the West Midlanders are currently one of Europe’s most in-form sides and therefore head into Thursday’s tie as heavy favourites.
The match will be televised exclusively live on TNT Sports 2, while a live stream is available on the discovery+ app.
FC Basel vs. Aston Villa – Key information
Date: Thursday, 11th December
Kick-off time: 20:00 (GMT)
Venue: St. Jakob-Park
Referee: Umut Meler (Assistant Referees: Ibrahim Çaglar Uyarcan and Abdullah Özkara, Fourth Official: Cihan Aydın)
VAR: Michael Fabbri (Assistant VAR: Onur Özütoprak)
TV Channels/Live stream: TNT Sports 1
Odds: FC Basel – 31/10, Draw – 10/3, Aston Villa – 8/11
Odds provided by bet365
FC Basel vs. Aston Villa team news
Basel boss Ludovic Magnin has just one injury to contend with, while Unai Emery is almost equipped with a fully-fit squad. Therefore, neither manager will be forced into making any major alterations for this week’s clash, so expect to see a set of familiar names in both lineups.
FC Basel team news
Magnin is unable to call upon the services of Kaio Eduardo, after the Brazilian centre-forward sustained a leg injury last month. Dominik Schmid and Albian Ajeti missed the matchday four meeting with FCSB due to knocks, but both players returned ahead of Basel’s goalless draw against title rivals St. Gallen.
Having claimed two assists for Liverpool in his last encounter with Thursday’s opponents, Xherdan Shaqiri will be confident he can once again inflict damage on Aston Villa. The pint-sized Swiss star has undoubtedly been Basel’s best attacking player this term, scoring six league goals and netting three times in Europe. Shaqiri will likely operate in the pocket behind Ivorian forward Bénie Traoré, which may tempt one of Aston Villa’s defensive midfield duo out of position.
FC Basel predicted lineup vs. Aston Villa (4-4-1-1)
Coach: Ludovic Magnin
Marwin Hitz (GK), Keigo Tsunemoto, Jonas Adjetey, Flavius Daniliuc, Dominik Schmid; Marin Šotiček, Metinho, Léo Leroy,
Philip Otele; Xherdan Shaqiri; Bénie Traoré
Aston Villa team news
After badly spraining his knee during Villa’s 1-0 home victory over Wolves at the end of last month, English midfielder Ross Barkley is set to be sidelined until at least February 2026. Tyrone Mings has extended his recent injury-ravaged period by picking up a mild hamstring strain, with the former Ipswich Town defender also expected to be out until the New Year.
Evann Guessand missed Saturday’s hard-earned win over Premier League leaders Arsenal with a knock, so it’s unclear as to whether he’ll return in time for Thursday. However, the injury shouldn’t impact the Ivorian international's involvement in the upcoming African Cup of Nations.
Unai Emery has a decision to make up front, with both Ollie Watkins and Donyell Malen in contention to lead the line. Malen is arguably in better form than his attacking colleague, having performed well since vacating his usual wide position to assume a more central role. The dynamic Dutchman has found the net on three occasions in his last two Europa League appearances, converting from the penalty spot as Villa swept aside Maccabi Haifa before bagging a brace against Young Boys.
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs. FC Basel (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Unai Emery
Emiliano Martínez (GK), Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen; Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana; John McGinn,
Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Donyell Malen
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
TNT Sports will provide comprehensive coverage of this keenly anticipated clash, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 (GMT). A commentary team of Mike Minay and Andy Townsend are set to describe the action in Switzerland, while Jamaican international Michail Antonio and former Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger will offer their thoughts and analysis from the studio.
Those with a discovery+ subscription can watch Villa take on Basel via the network’s dedicated app service.
Head-to-Head record
FC Basel and Aston Villa have only been drawn against each other on one previous occasion, when both teams reached the final stage of the 2001 Intertoto Cup. The now-defunct competition offered participants a back-door route into the UEFA Cup, with six finalists vying for three qualifying spots.
The first leg ended all square, after Argentinian striker Christian Giménez cancelled out Paul Merson’s opener in Basel. Scott Chipperfield put the visitors ahead in the return leg at Villa Park, but Juan Pablo Ángel’s brace alongside strikes from Darius Vassell and David Ginola handed the West Midlanders a commanding aggregate victory.
Unfortunately, Aston Villa would go on to be eliminated in the first round of the UEFA Cup just over a month later, losing to Croatian underdogs NK Varteks via the away goals rule.
Odds for FC Basel vs. Aston Villa
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.