Aston Villa vs Athletic Bilbao preview and prediction: Nico Williams will be on fire!
The match between Aston Villa and Athletic Bilbao will take place at 7:30 PM on August 7th. Nghe An Newspaper provides statistics on form, football analysis, and a predicted score for this match.
Latest team news for Aston Villa vs Athletic Bilbao
During Aston Villa's pre-season tour in the US, Unai Emery used 22 players in all three matches, and is expected to continue making changes to the lineup at Walsall, aiming to ensure the fitness of the entire team.
New signing Ian Maatsen made his first start against Club America, while Lewis Dobbin nearly scored a late equalizer; expensive signing Amadou Onana also joined Samuel Iling-Junior, Ross Barkley and Enzo Barrenechea in the squad.
Jhon Duran, Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa, and Ollie Watkins are still unavailable after taking extended breaks due to participating in continental finals.
On Athletic Bilbao's side, the main signing is Alvaro Djalo from Braga, who scored the opening goal and assisted Inaki Williams in the recent win against Osasuna. Nico Williams is expected to start despite still recovering from Euro 2024.
The Euro winning players, Dani Vivian and Unai Simon, are also absent; Simon is out due to wrist surgery that could keep him out for up to three months, so Alex Padilla is expected to start in goal.
Latest predicted lineups for Aston Villa vs Athletic Bilbao
Aston Villa: Gauci; Cash, Carlos, Torres, Maatsen; Onana, Barkley; Bailey, McGinn, Rogers; Archer
Athletic Bilbao: Padilla; De Marcos, Yeray, Paredes, Berchiche; Herrera, Prados; I. Williams, Sancet, Djalo; Guruzeta
Match preview: Aston Villa vs Athletic Bilbao
Aston Villa finished their US tour with three defeats, including a 1-0 loss to Club America, despite Leon Bailey and John McGinn hitting the post. Unai Emery's side lost to top MLS teams Columbus Crew and RB Leipzig in their first two matches, and the defeat to Club America left them empty-handed after three friendlies in the US.
Villa have been active in the transfer market, with new signings such as Amadou Onana, Cameron Archer and Jaden Philogene playing in friendlies in the US. They will begin the new Premier League season with final friendlies against Athletic Club and Borussia Dortmund, before kicking off the season with a match against West Ham United.
Athletic Bilbao also had a mixed summer with three wins and two losses. After winning the Copa Basque and finishing fifth in La Liga last season, Ernesto Valverde's team will continue to compete in La Liga. They will have two final friendly matches against Aston Villa and Stuttgart before the new season begins.
Valverde will face Emery in these matches, and Athletic Club could be a difficult opponent for Villa, potentially forcing Emery's team to settle for a draw.
Aston Villa vs Athletic Bilbao Score Prediction
Based on the above football analysis, we and leading football websites worldwide have provided our predictions for the match.Aston Villa vs Athletic Bilbaoas follows:
- Sportsmole:Aston Villa 1-1 Athletic Bilbao
- WhoScore:Aston Villa 2-1 Athletic Bilbao
- Our newspaper predicts:Aston Villa 2-3 Athletic Bilbao
When and where can I watch Aston Villa vs Athletic Bilbao live?
To watch the Aston Villa vs Athletic Bilbao match live in the international friendly tournament at 7:30 PM on August 7th, viewers can tune in on television channels or online sports channels. We wish you enjoyable football viewing moments.
