Unai Emery is set to achieve a significant milestone as Aston Villa faces Fenerbahçe on Thursday.
This match will mark his 100th Europa League game, making him the most experienced manager in the tournament’s history, surpassing Jorge Jesus.
The Lions travel to Istanbul after a disappointing domestic loss to Everton, but their performance in Europe has been impressive.
Currently, Villa ranks third in the league phase, close to securing an automatic top-eight finish. To achieve this, they must overcome a strong Fenerbahçe team.
Guided by Domenico Tedesco, Fenerbahçe has found its form, winning four straight matches across all competitions.
Fenerbahçe vs Aston Villa – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Thursday, 22 January 2026
- Kick-off: 17:45 GMT
- Venue: Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul
- Referee: Luis Godinho (POR)
- VAR: Jérôme Brisard (FRA)
Team News
Fenerbahçe
The home team will be without Archie Brown, Levent Mercan, and Sebastian Szymański due to injuries. New signings Matteo Guendouzi, Anthony Musaba, and Mert Günok are not eligible until the knockout stages.
Despite the absences, Fenerbahçe boasts players with notable Premier League experience, including former Villa players Jhon Durán and Marco Asensio. Kerem Aktürkoğlu, the team’s top scorer in the competition, is set to lead the attack.
Aston Villa
Emery faces a challenge in midfield with several key players out. John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, Ross Barkley, and Amadou Onana are unavailable, and captain Emiliano Martínez will also miss the match.
As a result, Marco Bizot is expected to start as goalkeeper. January signing Alysson cannot play yet, and a decision regarding Jadon Sancho will be made late. Ollie Watkins is anticipated to lead the front line.
Form
Aston Villa
Aston Villa has a strong history against Fenerbahçe, having won their previous two encounters in the 1977-78 UEFA Cup. Before the recent loss to Everton, Villa had secured five victories in their last six European matches.
Victor Lindelöf has been a crucial part of the defense, showing the best passing accuracy of any player with over 20 appearances since 2009 at 93.1%, and even higher this season at 95.4%.
Fenerbahçe
Fenerbahçe has made their home ground a tough place for opponents, losing only one of their six Europa League matches this season. Tedesco’s side is just two points away from the top eight.
They are also the most carded team in the tournament, with 26 yellow cards in six games. Midfielder Talisca stands out, scoring four goals on Matchdays 5 and 6, the highest of any player during that period.
Predicted Lineups
Fenerbahçe Predicted XI: Ederson; Semedo, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Muldur; Fred, Yuksek, Talisca; Asensio, Akturkoglu, Duran
Aston Villa Predicted XI: Bizot; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Bogarde, Tielemans; Guessand, Buendía, Rogers; Watkins
How to Watch Fenerbahçe vs Aston Villa?
In the UK, the match will be live on TNT Sports 1, starting coverage at 17:00 GMT ahead of the 17:45 kick-off.
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