Monaco vs Aston Villa match preview
Out of form domestically and in the Champions League, Monaco are three points away from the automatic round of 16 and playoff places as Adi Hutter’s side look to avoid three consecutive defeats in Europe at home to Aston Villa on Tuesday ( 5:45 p.m. GMT).
After a 2-1 defeat at Montpellier on Friday left them without a win in four matches in 2025, Hutter denied his players were distracted by the prospect of facing the 1981/82 European champions in the pre- last day.
“I have a lot of respect for Montpellier but we had to impose ourselves to regain confidence,” said the Austrian after his side missed a lead at the bottom of Ligue 1, gifting Musa Al-Taamari the equalizer .
“Tuesday will be a completely different game: it’s the Champions League at home, but I don’t think the team already had Aston Villa in mind.
“We dominated in the first half. We were the better team. And after the [equaliser] and the way we conceded it, I started to see bad body language…we [then] only managed to be dangerous in the final minutes.
Villa are eighth in the Premier League after a mixed story on Saturday, recovering from a 2-0 deficit after 59 minutes at title hopefuls Arsenal. secure a 2-2 draw thanks to two goals in nine minutes from Ollie Watkins and Youri Tielemans.
They are in the Champions League automatic progression places by one point, helped by Ross Barkley’s 85th-minute winner in a 3-2 win at Leipzig on December 10.
“Arsenal were the better team, but Villa came back and drew,” Hutter said, pointing out that his opposite number Unai Emery won the Europa League three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal.
“[Emiliano] Martinez is an incredible goalkeeper. [Morgan] Rogers is a fantastic number 10, [with Jhon] Duran and Watkins as forwards.
“Tielemans is the pacemaker in the center of midfield. We also have to pay close attention to every goal in this championship phase. Every goal can be decisive.
Monaco vs Villa team news
Folarin Balogun is a long-term absentee for Monaco following shoulder surgery, while his compatriot George Ilenikhena is out with a muscle problem.
Winger Krepin Diatta is not fit and defender Thilo Kehrer – who scored against Montpellier – will be suspended if he receives a booking.
“If we lower our intensity, coach will absolutely murder us,” said forward Breel Embolo, via Birmingham live. “Teams show us more respect and opponents defend more closely. We must adapt.
“We are still the same team as three months ago. We have the same coach and the same players. It’s a chance to set things straight. »
Midfielders Amadou Onana and John McGinn are doubtful for Villa, who are without defenders Diego Carlos (suspension) and Pau Torres (ankle), as well as playmaker Barkley due to a calf injury.
Duran, who was reportedly the subject of a £57million bid from West Ham on Mondaywill be suspended for the visit of Celtic on January 29 (8 p.m.) if the striker is booked.
New signature Donyell Malen can only be entered in the Champions League in the round of 16.
Expected Monaco line-ups against Aston Villa
Monegasque: Majecki; Caio Henrique, Kehrer, Singo, Vanderson; Camara, Zakaria; Ben Seghir, Golovine, Akliouche; Embolo
Villa Aston: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Onana; Bailey, Tielemans, Ramsey; Watkins
Prediction
At the end of the championship phasevictory for either team could be hugely important to their ambitions of automatically progressing by finishing among the top eight teams in the new single 36-team table format.
Much could depend on whether Monaco can return to the form they found at the start of the campaign, taking 10 points from a possible 12 and beating Barcelona and Red Star at home.
Hutter’s side were briefly first in France as part of an eight-game unbeaten start to Ligue 1, but they have lost five and drawn two of ten league matches since then, as well as suffering successive European defeats at home against Benfica and at Arsenal.
In their first modern Champions League campaign, Villa’s only defeat came against Club Brugge, while their defensive record is the fourth best in the competition this season.
In contrast, only three teams in the top 23 have conceded more goals than the 10 conceded by Monaco, who lost 4-2 to Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 in their only home match since December 7.
The 2003/04 finalists won’t want to go to Inter on the final day uncomfortably close to the bottom eight playoff positions, and they have a useful record against English opponents, winning 11 and drawing six out of their 21 meetings.
Villa have won three times and drawn 2-2 twice in their last five matches. Expect them to repeat the defensive rigor they showed in Europe this season in a 1-1 draw.
