Eintracht Frankfurt v Aston Villa preview: Team news, lineups, prediction
Aston Villa will continue their pre-season preparations with a clash against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday (26 July).
The Villans’ encounter with their Bundesliga opponents will open up their training camp in the USA, with games against St Louis City and Nashville SC set to follow later in the following week.
Unai Emery’s side are currently winless in pre-season, having tasted defeat against both Walsall and Hansa Rostock so far.
The B6 outfit will be keen to put that right against Frankfurt, and with that in mind, Villa News looks ahead to the upcoming match.
Aston Villa team news
Emi Martinez is yet to feature for Villa in pre-season, and that could continue against Frankfurt.
There is huge speculation regarding the Argentine’s future at Villa Park, and Emery has opted against using him as part of his squad so far.
The Spanish boss has split the minutes between first-team players and several academy prospects so far this summer, and that is expected to carry on into their tour of the USA.
Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres have both come back into the fold following injury lay-offs, and the duo should be fit to play a part once again.
Aston Villa predicted lineup v Eintracht Frankfurt
New signing Marco Bizot started between the posts for Villa in the defeat to Hansa Rostock last week, and the Dutchman will be expected to get the start once again in Martinez’s absence.
Emery has opted for two different XIs in both of the friendlies to date, but that could change slightly against Frankfurt as he attempts to ramp up the fitness levels within his squad.
With the Villans going up against higher-calibre opponents, the boss will likely fill his team with as much first-team experience as possible, at least for the first half.
That could mean players such as Ross Barkley and Jacob Ramsey will receive prominent roles once again, although some of Villa’s big-name stars could now be in a position to make an appearance, given that the whole squad is set to travel overseas.
Prediction: Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Aston Villa
Frankfurt claimed an impressive third-placed finish in the Bundesliga last term, and the Premier League outfit may have their work cut out to get a positive result here.
Villa would likely be more than a match for their German counterparts with their first-choice team available, however, with a fairly mixed starting XI expected to be named once again, it could be difficult for Emery’s charges to notch their first win of the summer.
That said, Frankfurt are at a similar stage of their summer preparations, and it may be hard for either side to find the rhythm to secure victory at this early stage of the summer.
With that in mind, Villa News is predicting a 1-1 draw.
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