- Aston Villa U21 have won three of their last five Premier League 2 games, losing just once.
- Middlesbrough U21 have won two, drawn four and lost three of their nine away PL2 games in 2025-2026, conceding just 1.33 goals per game on average.
Tight mid-table scrap in PL2
Aston Villa U21’s Premier League 2 campaign hasn’t been as bad as many expected, but neither have they excelled enough to push their side into the top half of the table.
Josep Gombau’s side have taken 28 points from their 18 games so far in 2025-2026 to sit 15th in the Premier League 2 table, while Middlesbrough U21’s total of 24 points from 19 matches puts them two places below Villa in 17th.
The gap between the two teams is close enough to promise a competitive game on Friday when these two sides meet late in the PL2 season.
Game of contrasting styles
Villa have developed well under Gombau, who has been at the helm since January 2024. They play a 4-2-3-1 and are committed to a patient build-up from the back and discipline within their positions.
Mark Tinkler has taken Boro in a different direction since taking over in December 2021. They sit much deeper than Villa, and are a team who are often happy to defend deep, looking to press and move in transition when they get the ball back.
These two teams are clearly a clash of styles, and it will be interesting to see if Villa can find the answer to Boro’s pragmatic style.
Boro have the edge
The last two fixtures between these sides were open, fast-paced games, but Boro’s tendency to sit deep and transition off turnovers suggests a similar game should be on the cards.
There’s plenty to like about Villa’s attacking players, but Boro will probably feel they have a slight edge in the contest. Their last three games have included a 6-1 home win over Stoke City Academy and a 1-0 away defeat to Derby County Academy, while Villa have won 2-3 away to Leicester City Academy and held on for a 0-0 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion Academy.
The hosts are a relatively open side at home, conceding an average of 2.56 goals per-game and scoring 1.78, but the visitors tend to keep it tight. They’re a shade of value at 53/50 to win in this game, although the odds are skinny for over 2.5 goals at 19/50 - it is a game to take on the goals markets, with the visitors likely to nick it.
