This article is part of our Soccer Picks series.
Aston Villa and Juventus line up Wednesday at Villa Park for their third all-time meeting.
The clash is a matchup of English and Italian clubs who find themselves teetering near the top eight of the Champions League table as a they vie for automatic qualification into the knockout rounds.
Champions League Predicted & Confirmed Lineups
Aston Villa have rode the coattails of their defensive unit into the top portion of the Champions League table. The Villans captured winning results via three clean sheets in their first three fixtures, including a famous 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich at Villa Park. However, Unai Emery's men suffered a listless 1-0 defeat at Club Brugge on Matchday 4 and have struggled in all competitions over the last month.
Villa are eighth in the Premier League table on 19 points despite taking just two points in their last four matches.
Juventus followed successive victories to begin their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 loss at VfB Stuttgart and a 1-1 draw at LOSC Lille. After picking up red cards on Matchdays 2 and 3, Juventus are hoping to add a modicum of discipline to their performance.
Juve sit sixth in the Serie A on 25 points, four points off the pace being set by league leaders Napoli.
HEAD TO HEAD
Aston Villa and Juventus have met on just two occasions, each time in in the third round of the 1983 European Cup. Juventus won both fixtures by an aggregate score of 5-2.
ODDS
Moneyline
DraftKings: AVL +140 Draw +225, JUV +215 (PROMO CODE)
FanDuel: AVL +135 Draw +220, JUV +220 (PROMO CODE)
Bet365: AVL +130 Draw +225, JUV +225 (BONUS CODE)
BetMGM: AVL +135 Draw +230, JUV +200 (BONUS CODE)
LINEUP & INJURY NEWS
Aston Villa
Ezri Konsa suffered a hip injury while serving on international duty with England, though he's available Wednesday and could immediately return to the XI. The question is if he'll start at right-back or center-back. Matty Cash came off the bench over the weekend for Lamare Bogarde at right-back.
In the midfield, the Villans have a few more players dealing with injuries with Boubacar Kamara expected back, while Jacob Ramsey and Amadou Onana remain out. Each of them were left off of the team sheet in Villa's last Premier League fixture, paving the way for the inclusions of John McGinn and Ross Barkley into the starting XI.
Juventus
The Juventus backline suffered two major blows in November with central defender Gleison Bremer being lost for the season with a major knee injury and full-back Juan Cabal sidelined for the year as he recovers from an ACL injury. In their absences, manager Thiago Motta has utilized Nicolo Savona and Danilo in increased capacities, while Pierre Kalulu and Federicio Gatti remain in the XI.
Key summer signing Douglas Luiz has had a slow start to life in Italy. A hamstring injury kept him out of seven successive fixtures. His limited availability in his first season with the club has been a net benefit to Americans Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie who have each picked up starting appearances with Luiz on the shelf. Unfortunately, in addition to Luiz, a former Villa player, being out, McKennie is also out for this match.
With Arkadiusz Milik still working his way back from a long-term knee injury and first choice-striker Dusan Vlahovic ruled out for the fixture, Juve will be looking to replace Vlahovic's three goals and one assist in four Champions League starting appearances this season.
FORMATIONS
Manager Unai Emery is likely to line up his squad in their familiar and well-drilled 4-2-3-1. The experienced manager has prioritized defensive solidity in Europe, but the Villans have been porous domestically, allowing 19 goals over 12 fixtures.
Expect Ollie Watkins to lead the line, but after playing the full 90 minutes versus Crystal Palace, expect super-substitute Jhon Duran to be standing at the ready when called upon. The four-man Villa attacking contingent will be supported by a midfield double-pivot that's sure to include iron-lung Youri Tielemans, who started every Premier League and Champions League tilt this season.
Juventus are likely to match Aston Villa's 4-2-3-1 shape under manger Thiago Motta. Motta's choice at the No. 9 will receive support from 19-year old Kenan Yildiz who netted his first career UCL goal in Juve's 3-1 victory over PSV earlier this campaign.
Khephren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli are the most likely partnership for Motta's midfield pivot with Teun Koopmeiners pegged for a box-to-box role in the center of the park, just ahead of the two holding midfielders. With the aforementioned injuries to the Juventus backline, Kalulu and Gatti will be tasked with holding their ground in central defense ahead of keeper Michele Di Gregorio.
RECENT FORM
Aston Villa (DLLLL) have not won a match in any competition since their 2-0 Matchday 3 victory over Bologna. Over their six-match winless stretch, Emery's men have been outscored 12-5 on aggregate.
Juventus (DWDWD) earned a share of the points in their most recent fixture versus AC Milan, a languid 0-0 affair. After trailing 1-0 for the majority of their Matchday 4 clash with Lille, Juventus were given a lifeline in the second half when a Vlahovic penalty rescued points for the boys from Turin.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Morgan Rogers: With Villa prioritizing clean sheets in Europe, their attacking play must be pin-point to steal a goal from their opponents who typically are able to outnumber the Villa attack when behind the ball. Rogers has been the impetus for attacking success during their Champions League run. Over four starts, the young attacking midfielder has attempted nine shots (two on goal), created nine chances and provided an assist.
Francisco Conceicao: In the absence of Vlahovic, Motta will be seeking attacking inspiration from the unusual suspects on the Juve bench. Conceicao has made three Champions League appearances (two starts) this campaign, registering one goal and one assist. Over his last five domestic appearances (three starts), he's registered three assists. If Juve are to overwhelm the Villa backline, I back Conceicao to be the man on the ball when it happens.
BETTING PICKS & PREDICTION
Man of the Match: Emiliano Martinez
With a tightly-contested affair expected and each team jockeying for position in a compressed UCL table, each side's defense will be just one mistake away from conceding the critical goal. Given the fine margins, I back the (arguably) best keeper in the world to stymie the Juventus attack and distribute with prejudice to spring the Villa attack.
Result: Aston Villa 1-0 Juventus
Considering Villa's approach to Champions Leeague fixtures this season and the attrition in the Juventus backline, I back Villa to create a parody of their game plan that earned them their 1-0 home victory versus Bayern Munich earlier this campaign. Expect play to be grinded out in the midfield well into the second half. As substitutes enter the fray, I back Villa's fresh dearth of talent on the bench to poach a goal from a Juventus backline thin on reserves.
UPCOMING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
Aston Villa: Dec. 10 at RB Leipzig
Arsenal: Dec. 11 vs. Manchester City
