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Fenerbahçe are currently just two points behind eighth-placed Porto, having only lost one of their first six fixtures. That defeat came against Dinamo Zagreb on matchday one, as the hosts ran out 3-1 winners in the Croatian capital.
The 19-time Turkish champions bounced back to narrowly beat Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart on home soil, before registering draws with Viktoria Plzeň and Ferencváros in their next two continental outings. An emphatic 4-0 victory over Norwegian underdogs Brann then followed, leaving Domenico Tedesco’s men sitting comfortably in twelfth position.
Although they’ve already clinched a place in the knockout stages, Villa will be desperate to skip next month’s play-off round. Earning just one point from their final two league phase outings should be enough to achieve this objective, with struggling RB Salzburg lying in wait following Thursday’s contest in Istanbul.
The West Midlanders started with impressive triumphs over Bologna and Feyenoord, but then surprisingly succumbed to Dutch Cup holders Go Ahead Eagles in Deventer. However, confidence was restored following back-to-back home wins, as Maccabi Tel Aviv and Young Boys both left Villa Park empty-handed. Yet another European victory – this time against Swiss opponents FC Basel – landed in mid-December, just as Unai Emery’s side were beginning to establish themselves as serious Premier League title contenders.
TNT Sports will provide comprehensive live coverage of this crucial tie, with kick-off at Fenerbahçe’s Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium scheduled for 17:45 (GMT). The match will also be available to discovery+ customers.
Fenerbahçe v Aston Villa: Key information
Date: Thursday, 22nd January
Kick-off time: 17:45 (GMT)
Venue: Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul
Referee: Luís Miguel Branco Godinho (Assistant Referees: Rui Miguel Martins Teixeira, Pedro Nuno Almeida da Mota, Fourth Official: Fábio José da Costa Veríssimo)
VAR: Jérôme Brisard (Assistant VAR: André Filipe Domingues da Silva Narciso)
TV Channels/Live stream: TNT Sports 1, discovery+
Odds: Fenerbahçe: 13/8, Draw: 5/2, Aston Villa: 13/8
Odds provided by bet365
Fenerbahçe v Aston Villa team news
Both managers are forced to contend with several injury issues, although Unai Emery presides over a longer casualty list than his Italian counterpart. We’ll likely see two similar tactical set-ups at Villa Park, as each team usually adopts a fluid 4-2-3-1 formation.
Fenerbahçe team news
The absence of Archie Brown and Levent Mercan leaves Fenerbahçe a little vulnerable on the left-hand side of defence, although ex-Wolves right-back Nélson Semedo can switch flanks to cover. Birmingham-born Brown, who is a graduate of Derby County’s academy, has been out since last month due to tearing a muscle in his toe, while fellow left-back Mercan is struggling with a hamstring problem.
Having recently aggravated a groin injury he sustained earlier on in the campaign, Sebastian Szymański missed Saturday’s 3-2 away victory over Alanyaspor. It’s currently unclear as to when the Polish playmaker will be ready to return to action.
Youssef En-Nesyri will enjoy a well-earned rest after featuring for Morocco in last weekend’s chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final, while winter window signing Mattéo Guendouzi is unable to be drafted into his new team’s Europa League squad at this stage.
Despite originally being set to miss Thursday’s tie through suspension, Jhon Durán may well make an appearance against his former employers. The on-loan Al-Nassr striker missed Fenerbahçe’s last European outing after headbutting Ferencváros centre-back Toon Raemaekers on matchday five, which led to him receiving a two-game ban. This punishment has since been reduced following a successful appeal, enabling Durán, who scored 20 goals during a rollercoaster spell with the West Midlanders, to be involved at Villa Park.
Nevertheless, it’s likely versatile attacker Talisca will be selected to lead the line. The Brazilian has netted a staggering nine goals in his last five starts across all competitions, in a sequence which included a quick-fire hat-trick against Brann.
Fenerbahçe predicted line-up v Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Domenico Tedesco
Ederson (GK); Mert Müldür, Milan Škriniar, Jayden Oosterwolde, Nélson Semedo; Fred, İsmail Yüksek; Anthony Musaba, Marco Asensio, Kerem Aktürkoğlu; Talisca
Aston Villa team news
Unai Emery is extremely light on options in the middle of the park, with captain John McGinn the latest midfielder to hit the treatment table. The Scot hobbled off just eighteen minutes into Sunday’s disappointing defeat to Everton, so it seems unlikely he’ll play a part on Thursday evening.
Boubacar Kamara suffered a knee injury on FA Cup duty, while fellow maestro Amadou Onana hasn’t featured since the 4-1 loss to Arsenal last month. There is at least some positive news regarding the condition of Ross Barkley, who is set to return to training next week despite initial fears he would be out until the end of February. The former Chelsea playmaker is tipped to leave Villa Park in the coming weeks, but may be called upon to provide cover given the current condition of his midfield colleagues.
Emiliano Martínez seems to have shaken off the calf strain he endured at Selhurst Park, but there’s a question mark over the fitness of Jadon Sancho after the winger missed the Everton clash through illness.
Although there’s plenty of excitement surrounding the arrivals of talented teenage duo Alysson and Brian Madjo, neither is eligible to feature for Villa in Europe until the league phase has concluded. Donyell Malen has been loaned to Roma for the remainder of the campaign, so the Dutchman may yet make a further impact in this season’s Europa League.
Aston Villa predicted line-up v Fenerbahçe (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Unai Emery
Emiliano Martínez (GK); Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Victor Lindelöf, Lucas Digne; Lamare Bogarde, Youri Tielemans; Evann Guessand, Morgan Rogers, Emiliano Buendía; Ollie Watkins
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
TNT Sports is currently the home of Europa League football in the United Kingdom, although this is set to change from the beginning of the 2027/28 campaign. Sky Sports have recently brokered a new four-year television deal with UEFA, which will enable the broadcasting giant to screen every Europa League (and Conference League) match.
Nevertheless, viewers should tune in to TNT Sports 1 to watch this week’s encounter between Fenerbahçe and Aston Villa. Those with a discovery+ subscription can follow the action on the streaming network’s in-house app, where a full match replay will also be available following the final whistle.
Head-to-head record
These two teams have only met in one previous European campaign, when Fenerbahçe and Aston Villa were drawn against each other in the first round of the 1977/78 UEFA Cup. After putting four past their hapless opponents on home soil, the West Midlanders comfortably won the return leg in Istanbul to seal an impressive 6-0 aggregate victory.
Villa last faced a Turkish opponent in a major continental competition over three decades ago, coming up against Trabzonspor during the early stages of the 1994/95 UEFA Cup campaign. Having lost 1-0 in Trabzon a fortnight prior, the hosts led by the same scoreline heading into the final few minutes at Villa Park. With extra-time looming, Orhan Kaynak – who had scored the only goal in the first leg – netted to make it 1-1 on the night, before the late Ugo Ehiogu put his team back in front in the final minute. There was no further drama, however, resulting in Villa exiting the competition via the away goals rule.
Fenerbahçe v Aston Villa – match result odds
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365