Aston Villa host Turkish giants Fenerbahçe on Wednesday night in a compelling UEFA Champions League encounter between two sides looking to strengthen their early position in the league phase.
Villa will be encouraged by their impressive European record under Unai Emery, but their domestic campaign has been less convincing.
Fenerbahçe arrive in fine form, unbeaten in their last five matches in all competitions.
Villa opened their European campaign with a thrilling 3-2 victory away to Club Brugge, while Fenerbahçe were held to a 1-1 draw by Roma.
Despite their domestic troubles, Villa have won 12 of their last 14 European matches, while their unbeaten run in home European fixtures has stretched to 13 games.
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Emery’s side battled to a 2-2 draw against Brentford at the weekend, while Fenerbahce were convincing 3-0 winners away at Rizespor.
Their recent outings set this up to be an intriguing affair as both sides look to continue their unbeaten starts to their Champions League campaigns.
Here is our predicted outcome for the match.
What time does Villa vs Fenerbahce start?
The match kicks off at 10PM E.A.T at Villa Park
Villa vs Fenerbahce team news
The home team remain without Ian Maatsen and Amadou Onana who are both recovering from injury.
Matteo Rugeri also suffered a knock against Brentford and could be replaced by Aaron Wan Bissaka in that right wing back position.
John McGinn and Emiliano Buendia will both retain their starting roles in midfield, while Johan Manzambi will provide attacking depth on the wing.
Nicholas Jackson will continue to lead the attacking line for the hosts.
The visiting Turkish outfit have a fully fit squad to choose from and Ngolo Kante will start in midfield against the familiar opposition.
Mason Greenwood has been in fine form and is expected to lead the attacking line alongside Verdat Muriqi.
Villa vs Fenerbahce head-to-head and current form
Villa have enjoyed the better of previous meetings between these sides, winning all three recorded encounters without conceding a goal.
Fenerbahçe, meanwhile, will be looking to end their poor run against the English club and record a landmark result here.
Current form:
Villa – DWWWL
Fenerbahce – WWWDD
Villa vs Fenerbahce previous games
- Fenerbahce 0-1 Villa (January 22, 2026)
- Fenerbahce 0-2 Villa (September 28, 1977)
- Villa 4-0 Fenerbahce (September 14, 1977)
Villa vs Fenerbahce prediction
Villa’s home advantage and excellent recent European record make them the stronger side on paper. Their defensive absences, however, mean this is not a risk-free selection.
Villa have shown they can create and score chances, but their recent defensive displays give Fenerbahçe a realistic opportunity to find the net.
This makes for a more attractive market to explore.
Prediction – Both teams to score – PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME HERE!