Unai Emery makes error as Pau Torres axed from Aston Villa XI v Olympiacos
Unai Emery has made a big error by naming Pau Torres on the bench after the Aston Villa starting lineup was confirmed for their clash with Olympiacos.
The Villans host the Greek side in the Europa Conference League semi-final first-leg at Villa Park, and the boss has made three changes to his team from the 2-2 draw against Chelsea last time out.
Robin Olsen starts in goal in place of the suspended Emiliano Martinez, while Moussa Diaby got the nod over the injured Youri Tielemans in an attacking team, with Clement Lenglet replacing the Spaniard in central defence.
But that could prove to be a big considering the form of the French central defender, with his last appearance coming in the 4-1 defeat to Manchester City last month.
During that game, the Barcelona loanee won just three of his ground duels (from five attempts), was dribbled past twice and failed to win any aerial duels throughout the game [via SofaScore].
Torres didn’t have the best of games against Chelsea at the weekend, but his 40 successful passes from 49 attempts (82%) show where his strengths lie and in such an attacking lineup that will be key.
Clement Lenglet fighting for his Aston Villa future
Lenglet has struggled for regular game time and there has been speculation that he could return to Spain when his loan expires, but he wants to stay and will want to prove himself in this game.
With John McGinn and Douglas Luiz in central midfield, there is not a lot of protection for the defenders, so Lenglet will have to be on top form alongside Ezri Konsa.
With the first leg of the tie at Villa Park, there is a chance for Aston Villa to step up and potentially kill the tie early on – before they even have to head to Greece, meaning they can turn their attention to Champions League qualification for next season.
But for now, all focus must be on the game, and Lenglet has got to prove Emery right for starting ahead of fan favourite Torres.
In other Aston Villa news, the club are in line for a ‘Huge’ £50m+ windfall and it could help the transfer budget this summer.
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.