Aston Villa return to continental action at Villa Park on Thursday night, welcoming Maccabi Tel Aviv for a crucial UEFA Europa League showdown.
The hosts are looking to assert their dominance after a controlled but not prolific European campaign so far, while Maccabi arrive with a point to prove and their qualification hopes hanging by a thread. With Villa’s defensive solidity pitted against the Israeli side’s opportunistic attack, this clash promises a fascinating tactical contrast under the lights in Birmingham.
Best Bets & Predictions
Based on Aston Villa’s impressive defensive record and superior underlying attacking numbers, we’re confident in backing the home win. Maccabi’s tendency to overperform their expected goals hints at some threat, but their leaky defence gives Villa a clear edge. Here are our top betting recommendations for this match:
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa to Win | 2/9 @ Bet365 (81.8%) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Aston Villa started their Europa League campaign superbly, beating Bologna and Feyenoord without conceding a goal but a shock loss to Go Ahead Eagles last time out has set them back slightly. Despite that they come into this tie as favourites and we’re backing them to come out on top against a Maccabi Tel Aviv side that are yet to pick up a win in the competition this season. The Israeli side have only scored one goal and were soundly beaten by Midtjylland last time out. |
| Under 2.5 Goals | 13/8 @ Betfair | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Goals have been a bit of a problem for Aston Villa this season and they’ve averaged less than a goal a game in the Premier League, thus far. In Europe it’s been slightly better, where they’ve scored four goals in three games but it’s not been great reading for Villa fans. Maccabi Tel Aviv have struggled themselves, only scoring once in three Europa League games, but they’ve been much brighter domestically. They’ve scored 23 goals in nine games in the Israeli league but obviously the standard in this game is much higher. That evidence leads us to think the 2.5 goal line won’t be troubled in this game. |
Odds correct at the time of writing.
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Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv match odds
How both teams head into Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv
The season took a while to get going for Aston Villa but they seem to have found their feet in recent weeks. They come into this game off the back of a loss to Liverpool but their form before that defeat showed real promise with six wins in seven games, including victories over Man City, Tottenham and Feyenoord. Their last Europa League outing was a defeat by Go Ahead Eagles and ended their 100% start to the campaign and they’ll be keen to bounce back with a win here to cement their place in the upper reaches of the group stage.
Maccabi Tel Aviv have struggled in Europe this year, drawing their opening game with PAOK before falling to defeats against Dinamo Zagreb and Midtjylland to leave them in 32nd position in the group stage. Domestically they’ve fared much better and have yet to taste defeat in the Israeli league, winning seven of their nine games so far. They’ve won three in a row and sit second in the league but they need to translate that form to the Europa League if they wish to progress.
Aston Villa team news
Tyrone Mings looks set to miss a number of weeks after picking up a hamstring injury against Liverpool at the weekend and he joins Emi Buendia, Youri Tielemans and Andres Garcia on the sidelines. Ross Barkley won’t feature after being left out of the Europa League squad.
Maccabi Tel Aviv team news
Maccabi Tel Aviv have no significant injury problems and this should lead to a settled line up for the Israeli side. Dor Peretz has scored eight goals so far this season and should keep his place in attack, whilst Kristijan Belic and Issouf Sissokho should form the midfield base for the side.
Season Form & Standings
Villa are well-placed with two wins out of three, boasting a +2 goal difference and the best defensive record in the group. Maccabi, meanwhile, sit near the bottom, winless and with a concerning -5 goal difference.
| Team | Pos | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 32 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 1 |
Potential Match-Winners
Neither side features among the Europa League’s leading scorers, underlining a team-based approach over individual brilliance. For Aston Villa, keep an eye on Ollie Watkins and Donyell Malen—both capable of unlocking low blocks and creating chances, supported by the creative industry of Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott from midfield. Villa’s back line, marshalled by Pau Torres and Emiliano Martínez in goal, has been a key factor in their clean sheet record.
For Maccabi, Dor Peretz and Helio Varela are the main attacking threats, but the visitors have managed just one goal in the group so far. They’ll need to find another gear to trouble Villa’s well-drilled defence.
Head-to-Head: Last Meetings
These sides have never previously met in European competition, making this a fresh chapter for both clubs on the continental stage.
| Date | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| – | – | – |
Conclusion
Aston Villa’s technical superiority, defensive steel, and home advantage make them clear favourites to take all three points. Maccabi’s resilience and opportunism can’t be fully discounted, but the gulf in recent form and group-stage performance is hard to ignore. Will Villa’s control and discipline prove too much, or can the visitors spring a major upset? Our final word: back Aston Villa to win at 2/9 (81.8%) with Bet365 for the safest play.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
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