- Aston Villa have won their last 2 consecutive games at Villa Park
- Maccabi Tel-Aviv have drawn one and failed to score in their only away game this season
- This is the first-ever competitive meeting between the clubs
Villans are on a roll with Emery at the helm
Unai Emery has been a shrewd appointment for Aston Villa, who have won three and lost two of their last 5 games in all competitions. Our Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv prediction highlights the importance of Villa's gutsy 1-0 home win against Manchester City in their most recent Premier League game before being turned over 2-0 by Liverpool. Emery’s attention to discipline and ability to make instant changes to games have made Villa very tough to beat at home, where they have won their only Europa League fixture so far and conceded zero goals.
Maccabi Tel-Aviv is in very poor form, winning one and drawing one of their last 5 matches, and currently on a two-game losing streak. Zarko Lazetic has yet to find the right formula in Europe, where Maccabi have been blunt up front in their away fixtures, averaging 0.00 goals scored and 0.00 goals conceded per game. This Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv preview points out that Sayed Abu Farkhi has been their biggest threat in this competition, netting once in 2 appearances, with Ben Lederman providing the spark with an assist in his 2 appearances.
Midfield battle could hold the key
Emery likes to set Villa up in a 4-2-3-1, where the Villans will attempt to suffocate their opponents with a narrow, central 4-2 block and then release the pressure with lightning-fast verticality and pace on the counter. Maccabi prefer a more flexible 4-3-3 system, or 4-2-3-1, depending on the game, but they are compact in their defensive shape and look to get numbers in behind the wide areas.
There is plenty going on off the field to add to the tension of this game, with safety concerns in the city and the ban on away fans. The Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv odds reflect that Villa have been fantastic at Villa Park and their form, the quality of the two sides and the odds tell us all we need to know about who will claim the three points here. Over 2.5 goals is short at 1.47, suggesting the bookmakers are anticipating an open, attacking game, which may not be the case.
Emery’s side have kept a clean sheet in their only home Europa League match, netting just 1 goal in the process, so Maccabi will struggle to break Villa down. They have some good players that can make things difficult, but it will require a monumental effort from them to take anything from this one. Our Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv prediction suggests that John McGinn is Villa’s Europa League talisman with 2 goals in 3 games, and their on form attacker Emiliano Buendia has chipped in with 2 of Villa’s 6 goals in their last 5 outings.
Dor Peretz has been a bright spot for Maccabi, netting twice in their 4 goals in their last 5 games, and if they are to have any chance of taking anything from this match, he will need to be at his best. A win would give Villa a stranglehold on group progression, while Maccabi desperately need the points to resurrect their campaign. Keep an eye on these Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv betting tips for further insights ahead of this intriguing encounter.
