Aston Villa will wrap up their successful Europa League group-stage campaign on Thursday night at Villa Park against RB Salzburg, who need a win to keep their hopes alive.
Unai Emery’s team has already secured a top-eight finish, ensuring a spot in the Round of 16. They aim to keep their winning streak going after a solid 2-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday. Meanwhile, RB Salzburg is in a tough spot, currently ranked 28th in the standings. They must earn their first win in England.
Aston Villa vs RB Salzburg – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Thursday, 29 January 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
- Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
- Referee: Rohit Saggi (NOR)
- VAR: Robert Schröder (GER)
- Last Meeting: First competitive meeting
Team News
Aston Villa
Unai Emery is likely to make significant changes to his lineup tonight. Midfielder Youri Tielemans is out due to a serious ankle injury, joining captain John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara on the sidelines. Ross Barkley is a doubt with a knee issue. Although Tammy Abraham is now back at the club, he isn’t registered for this stage. Marco Bizot is expected to start in goal to rest Emiliano Martínez.
RB Salzburg
The Austrian club is still missing Takumu Kawamura and John Mellberg, both recovering from long-term knee injuries. Despite this, their attack remains strong. Teen winger Kerim Alajbegovic is in good form, having scored twice against Basel, and will support leading scorer Petar Ratkov, who has 12 goals this season.
Form
Aston Villa
Villa Park has become a stronghold for Aston Villa again. Including qualifiers, they’ve won 14 out of their last 16 home matches in Europe and are looking for a record seventh consecutive home European win. Interestingly, all five of their home goals in this competition have come from players with surnames starting with M.
RB Salzburg
The Austrian side has a challenging task in Birmingham. Salzburg has not won in any of their previous eight major European matches against English teams. Additionally, they have lost their last five away games in major competitions. A defeat tonight could end their chances of making the play-offs.
Predicted Lineups
Aston Villa Predicted XI: Bizot; Garcia, Lindelöf, Mings, Digne; Bogarde, Onana, Hemmings; Sancho, Guessand, Buendía
Red Bull Salzburg Predicted XI: Schlager; Trummer, Gadou, Schuster, Krätzig; Kitano, Diabaté, Bidstrup; Baidoo, Ratkov, Alajbegovic
How to Watch Aston Villa vs RB Salzburg?
In the UK, the match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 2, with coverage starting before the 20:00 GMT kick-off.
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