Credit: Tung Manh Phan/Breaking Media

Cameron Smith

Tue 19 May 2026 8:00, UK

Freiburg and Aston Villa will both be aiming to make history on Wednesday when they meet in the Europa League final in Turkiye.

Both clubs booked their place in the final earlier this month with 4-3 and 4-1 aggregate victories over Braga and Nottingham Forest, respectively.

Their strong form also showed in the league, with Freiburg earning a Conference League spot by finishing seventh in the Bundesliga, while Villa returned to the Champions League.

Apart from their play-off final appearances in 2018 and 2019, the Villans had gone 11 years without reaching a major final.

Wednesday’s showdown will mark only Freiburg’s second-ever final appearance, as they look to make history against Unai Emery’s side.

Form guide

Freiburg have managed the season well under Julian Schuster, with the Breisgauers once again securing European football, despite reaching the latter stages of both the Europa League and DFB-Pokal.

Their form did dip in the final weeks, with the hectic schedule seeing them play semi-finals against Stuttgart and Braga alongside the battle for Europe.

Recovering from a loss against Hamburg, Schuster’s side brought their Bundesliga season to a close on Saturday with a 4-1 win against RB Leipzig.

Villa got back to winning ways in sensational fashion on Friday, with a 4-2 triumph against Liverpool bringing an end to a run of three league matches without a win, securing Champions League in the process.

Freiburg (last six games all competitions): WLWDLL

Aston Villa (last six games all competitions): WDWLLL

Team news and predicted lineups

Debate over Emery’s team selection has intensified in recent weeks, particularly after his rotation was criticised in the defeat to Tottenham.

Against Liverpool, however, the Spaniard stuck with his strongest XI in a push for a top-five finish against the deposed champions.

With Villa enjoying a decent gap between fixtures, Emery had the chance to go full strength again on Friday.

Still, two changes could be made. Douglas Luiz may replace Victor Lindelof in midfield, while Ian Maatsen could come in for Lucas Digne at left-back.

With Amadou Onana sidelined, Lindelof has filled in alongside Youri Tielemans and performed well.

But with Villa expected to see more of the ball on Wednesday, a natural midfielder may be preferred, with Luiz offering greater control despite his struggles since returning in January.

Maatsen and Digne have shared duties throughout the season, so the Dutchman could be in line to start in Istanbul after missing the win over Liverpool.

For Freiburg, young defensive star Max Rosenfelder remains out until the end of the season with a hamstring injury, alongside midfielder Patrick Osterhage and Yuito Suzuki, who has impressed in Europe this term.

Predicted Freiburg lineup: Atubolu; Treu, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo; Eggestein, Manzambi; Beste, Grifo, Scherhant; Matanovic

Predicted Aston Villa lineup: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Luiz, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins

Freiburg man to watch: Vincenzo Grifo

For Freiburg, there are few bigger legends than Vincenzo Grifo.

The Pforzheim-born Italian has starred out wide for the Breisgauers for many years now, returning to his local club in 2019 after unsuccessful spells at Borussia Mönchengladbach and Hoffenheim.

At 33, he is no longer the dynamic winger of years gone by, but his wand of a right foot ensures he remains a true talisman under Schuster.

In March, he became the club’s all-time leading scorer with 106 goals, overtaking the equally iconic Nils Petersen.

We say: Freiburg 1-3 Aston Villa

Heading into Wednesday, the Villans carry the tag of favourites, though they must be wary of a stubborn Freiburg side.

If Emery’s side turns up, the trophy should be theirs. However, they need to prove the doubters wrong after missing chances in big games in recent years.