SC Freiburg vs Aston Villa Predictions

• Aston Villa have won 12 of their 14 Europa League games this season.
• Ollie Watkins has scored 10 goals in his last 10 starts.

Freiburg hard-pushed to upset the odds

Unai Emery heads into his fifth Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday, and the most successful manager in the competition’s history can lead Aston Villa to glory and get his hands on the trophy for the fourth time.

Underdogs Freiburg are enjoying their most successful European season to date, but much of their success this campaign has been built on their flawless home record, and the lack of home advantage may prove a deciding factor on Wednesday.

They have won just two of their seven European games away from Europa-Park Stadion this season, while Aston Villa, also boasting a perfect home record, have won five of their seven trips away.

Watkins to lead Villa to Europa League glory

Emery’s men, who secured a top-five finish in the Premier League with a demolition of Liverpool on Friday, have scored 10 goals in their last three games, and this attacking confidence should fire them to victory at Besiktas Park.

They have conceded in six of their last seven, though, so keeping a clean sheet against a Freiburg outfit that have scored in 13 of their last 14 games is unlikely, making a tight 2-1 scoreline our favoured correct score prediction.

Ollie Watkins could write himself into the Aston Villa history books, too. He has five Europa League goals this term and had a hand in three of Villa’s four goals against Liverpool. He has scored 10 times in his last 10 starts for the club, including four in four Europa League outings.