After an unsuccessful trip to the United States, Aston Villa seek a morale-boosting win on Wednesday evening, when they meet Athletic Bilbao at Bescot Stadium.
Villa boss Unai Emery will welcome his fellow Basques to the West Midlands, as his side tune up for the Premier League season and their upcoming Champions League debut.
Match preview
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Following defeats to top MLS side Columbus Crew and Champions League regulars RB Leipzig in their first two games of a brief Stateside stay, Aston Villa wrapped up their pre-season tour with a 1-0 loss to Club America in Chicago.
Both Leon Bailey and John McGinn struck the post at Soldier Field, but the Liga MX champions scored a late winner to leave Unai Emery's men empty-handed from three friendly fixtures in the USA.
Villa will soon be embarking on their first campaign in Europe's top club competition since 1983, so they have been active in the transfer window as Emery seeks to bolster a relatively thin squad for the long campaign ahead.
Several new boys were given playing time in the US, including Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana and returning duo Cameron Archer and Jaden Philogene, both of whom were brought back to Birmingham earlier this summer.
With only two friendly wins under their belt so far - against League Two neighbours Walsall and Slovak side Spartak Trnava - the Europa Conference League semi-finalists will be intent on settling their supporters' concerns in midweek.
Before kicking off a new Premier League season against West Ham United, as they aim to replicate or even better last term's fourth-placed finish, tough tests await in Villa's last two warm-up matches: after Athletic Club on Wednesday, they meet beaten Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
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With three wins and two defeats, Athletic's pre-season has been a mixed bag too, and they also have two games to go before getting the 2024-25 campaign properly under way.
Once they have taken on Villa and Stuttgart over the next week, Los Rojiblancos will host Getafe on La Liga's opening matchday, following a season in which they ended their 40-year Copa del Rey drought and finished fifth in Spain's top flight to clinch Europa League qualification.
Since a chastening 3-0 friendly loss to Portuguese giants Sporting, Ernesto Valverde's men have recently posted back-to-back victories, most notably beating regional rivals Osasuna to win the Basque Cup.
Goals from Alvaro Djalo and Inaki Williams helped Athletic lift the Euskal Herria Txapela for a third time, following successes in 2018 and 2022, before they went back to work at their training centre in Lezama.
Now, they take to the road again, with Valverde first pitting his wits against Emery in England, having beaten the former Sevilla boss only three times in 12 previous meetings.
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![Netherlands' Ian Maatsen on June 25, 2024 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/26/ian-maatsen.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Netherlands' Ian Maatsen on June 25, 2024 [IMAGO]")
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In all three games on Aston Villa's US tour, Unai Emery used 22 players, and much chopping and changing can again be expected in Walsall, with match-fitness for all squad members the priority.
While recent arrival Lewis Dobbin has moved to West Bromwich Albion on loan, big-money buy Amadou Onana joins Samuel Iling-Junior, Ross Barkley and Enzo Barrenechea in the squad; Ian Maatsen made his first start against America last time out.
Jhon Duran, Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins were all involved in continental finals midway through last month, so having just returned from an extended period of leave they will not be available.
Meanwhile, Athletic's main acquisition is Alvaro Djalo, who arrives from Braga - he was partly brought up in the Basque Country and therefore fulfils the club's stringent eligibility criteria.
The speedy winger played a pivotal role in last week's win over Osasuna, scoring the first goal and setting up Inaki Williams for the second, and while star man Nico Williams is building back his fitness after a brilliant showing at Euro 2024, he is set to start again.
Athletic's other Euro winners, Dani Vivian and Unai Simon are also unavailable. The latter's absence is due to wrist surgery that could keep him out for the next three months, so Alex Padilla should start in goal.
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Gauci; Cash, Carlos, Torres, Maatsen; Onana, Barkley; Bailey, McGinn, Rogers; Archer
Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:
Padilla; De Marcos, Yeray, Paredes, Berchiche; Herrera, Prados; I. Williams, Sancet, Djalo; Guruzeta
We say: Aston Villa 1-1 Athletic Bilbao
Following some experimentation in the States, Aston Villa are now set to take their final pair of friendlies seriously, as a new Premier League season nears. In Athletic Club, though, the Villans will face tough opposition, so they may have to settle for a draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
