Aston Villa’s strengths and weaknesses have been laid bare as Feyenoord eye European revenge this week.
Voetbal Nieuws do the dissecting today ahead of Aston Villa’s trip to De Kuip on Thursday in the Europa League.
They say Unai Emery’s side are considered the favourite in that game, but they have ‘clear weaknesses’. That, according to the, provides the Dutch side with opportunities.
First the strengths. There is Emery, who is a ‘true Europa League specialist’. He’s won the tournament four time and recently emphasised it was his primary focus again. VN state he rarely rotates in Europe, meaning Feyenoord can count on a full-strength Aston Villa on Thursday.
They also remain dangerous in attack. Ollie Watkins broke his goal duck at the weekend and there’s still Donyell Malen, Harvey Elliot and Morgan Rogers to deal with. They provide ‘pace and creativity’ to the side. Austin McPhee’s work on set pieces is also considered a ‘key weapon’.
On the flip side, VN say that Ason Villa struggle to create consistent danger. That’s been evident at the start of the season, during which the right balance is yet to be found.
They are also a side that give up chances. Only Burnley and Nottingham Forest have given away more chances this season. That ‘indicates a shaky organisation’. The belief is that his comes from them relying heavily on a high offside trap, in which a small error in coordination can be ‘fatal’.
The belief is that this could be exploited, particularly by Feyenoord’s Sam Steijn. Feyenoord should focus on ‘rapid attacks’ according to the analysis. Aston Villa are also dangerous in transition, though, so Feyenoord will need to be ‘astute’ and find the right balance.
Emery’s side remain the favourites as far at Voetbal Nieuws are concerned, but there are ‘defensive vulnerabilities’ to be exploited and Feyenoord should be positive on that front.
