Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Valenciavs.Aston Villa

sportsmole.co.uk, 3 August 2023, 08:02
Aston Villa will continue their preparations for the upcoming Premier League campaign with a pre-season friendly against Spanish giants Valencia on Saturday evening.

Unai Emery's side will open their 2023-24 Premier League season away to Newcastle United on August 12, while Valencia will start their La Liga campaign away to Sevilla on August 11.

Match preview

There is no getting away from the fact that it was a desperately disappointing 2022-23 campaign for Valencia, who finished 16th in Spain's top flight. only picking up 42 points from their 38 matches, which left them just two points outside of the relegation zone.

It was certainly too close for comfort last season, but Los Che will now be looking forward, and they have managed to boost their squad this summer with the arrivals of Cenk Ozkacar and Pepelu from Lyon and Levante respectively.

Valencia's pre-season form has also been impressive, winning each of their four matches, opening their preparations for the new campaign with a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.

Ruben Baraja's side also beat Spartak Trnava and St Gallen before recording a 2-0 victory over Alaves on July 29, and this match will mark the end of their pre-season.

Indeed, Valencia will open their 2023-24 La Liga campaign away to Sevilla on August 11 before back-to-back home matches against Las Palmas and Osasuna to finish the month.

Villa, meanwhile, have made three exciting signings this summer, bringing in Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen in a big-money deal, in addition to Pau Torres from Villarreal and Youri Tielemans on a free transfer following his release from Leicester City.

All three players have been linked with major European teams over the last year or so, but Villa look to be a side firmly moving in the right direction, and they will be aiming for European football during the 2023-24 campaign, having finished seventh in the Premier League last term to qualify for the Europa Conference League playoff round.

Emery's side have played four friendlies this summer, beginning their preparations for the new season with a 1-1 draw against Walsall on July 15.

Villa then played three matches in the Premier League Summer Series in the United States, beating Fulham 2-0, in addition to drawing 3-3 with both Newcastle United and Brentford.

The team are now preparing for their Premier League opener against Newcastle on August 12, and they have another friendly ahead of this match against Italian giants Lazio on Thursday night.

Valencia friendly form:

Aston Villa friendly form:

Team News

Valencia will again be without the services of Marcos de Sousa due to a long-term knee problem, but Los Che are otherwise in strong shape entering this contest.

Head coach Baraja is expected to select a strong side for the first whistle, but there will be changes throughout the contest, as players need minutes in their legs ahead of the new season.

Yunus Musah is unlikely to feature, with the 20-year-old preparing to make the move to AC Milan, but there could be a start for fellow youngster Javi Guerra, who is expected to be heavily involved for the Spanish giants during the 2023-24 campaign.

Villa boss Emery, meanwhile, will now have his eyes firmly on the start of the season, so his starting side for this match could well take to the field for their opener against Newcastle.

Diaby made it two goals in two matches with a strike against Brentford last time out, and the Frenchman should again feature in the final third of the field alongside Ollie Watkins.

Leon Bailey is also expected to come in for a start in this match, while Tielemans could operate in central midfield, potentially alongside Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara.

Valencia possible starting lineup:

Mamardashvili; Correia, Diakhaby, Paulista, Gaya; Almeida, Pepelu; Castillejo, Guerra, Duro; Mari

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:

Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans, Luiz; Bailey, Watkins, Diaby

We say: Valencia 1-1 Aston Villa

Valencia's pre-season form has been excellent, and Villa will have wanted a big challenge at this stage of their preparations for the new campaign. We are expecting a tight match on Saturday and are finding it difficult to separate the two sides, who might have to settle for a share of the spoils.

Previews by email

Top News

22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly joined the race for Atalanta BC attacker Ademola Lookman, with the Red Devils potentially battling Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain for his signature. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With all eyes fixed on the January transfer market, clubs around the UK and Europe are already lining up potential mid-season moves. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fortuna Sittard will be looking to secure a fourth home win on the bounce when they take on Twente at the Offermans Joosten Stadion in round 13 of the Eredivisie on Saturday. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Monaco vs. Brest (Friday, 6.00pm) The first game in Ligue 1 since the final international break of 2024 will see Monaco welcome Brest to the Stade Louis II on Friday night. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have reportedly told Mykhaylo Mudryk that he is still in their first-team plans ahead of the January transfer window. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has reportedly not yet made a full recovery from the knock he suffered prior to the international break. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Legendary striker Robert Lewandowski has revealed he was close to joining Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in 2012. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Xabi Alonso will hope that his Bayer Leverkusen side can return to winning ways when they welcome strugglers Heidenheim to BayArena in their 11th Bundesliga game of the campaign on Saturday. 21 November 2024 talksport.com Wayne Rooney gives Romeo Montague a run for his money with wife Coleen revealing he writes her love poetry. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Six places separate Wolfsburg and Union Berlin in the Bundesliga table ahead of Saturday's gameweek 11 match at the Volkswagen Arena. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Borussia Dortmund have already fallen behind in the title race and will at least aim to stay within touching distance of the Champions League qualifications spots when they welcome Freiburg to Signal Iduna Park on Saturday in their 11th Bundesliga game of the campaign. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk A crunch clash at the bottom sees Heracles and RKC Waalwijk go head to head at the Asito Stadium on Saturday evening in gameweek 13 of the Eredivisie season. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Stuttgart sit a disappointing 11th in the Bundesliga table before welcoming cellar-dwelling VfL Bochum in Saturday's gameweek 11 action at the MHPArena. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brentford boss Thomas Frank has confirmed that Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa will both be available for Saturday's Premier League away meeting with Everton. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Benfica and Estrela Amadora return to action on Saturday when they go head to head at the Estadio da Luz in the fourth round of the Taca de Portugal. 21 November 2024 talksport.com West Ham have sounded out former Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic as a potential replacement for Julen Lopetegui, talkSPORT understands. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to move back into the top six of the League One table, Huddersfield Town will welcome Charlton Athletic to the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday. 21 November 2024 talksport.com talkSPORT's Ally McCoist has opened up about living with Dupuytren's contracture, an incurable hereditary condition that affects the hands. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Luton Town will welcome Hull City to Kenilworth Road on Saturday for a crucial game at the bottom end of the Championship table. 21 November 2024 talksport.com Martin Odegaard is everything for Arsenal - he's at the heartbeat of everything positive they do. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to go top of the Championship table with a fifth straight victory, Sheffield United will travel to take on Coventry City on Saturday. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk RB Leipzig will aim to prevent the five-point gap to Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich from extending by claiming all three points at Hoffenheim's PreZero Arena on Saturday. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Champions League hopefuls Eintracht Frankfurt will hope to maintain their five-point advantage over Werder Bremen after hosting them on Saturday at Deutsche Bank Park in their 11th Bundesliga outing of the season. 21 November 2024 talksport.com Newcastle defender Lewis Hall says his lack of game time in the first-team left him 'in a dark place' last season. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams who could really do with a victory kick off round 13 of the 2024-25 Eredivisie season as Go Ahead Eagles welcome Almere City to De Adelaarshorst on Saturday afternoon. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Promotion-chasing Barnsley are favourites heading into Saturday's gameweek 17 League One match at Oakwell. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Feyenoord and Heerenveen will both be looking to pick up where they left off right before the international break in Saturday's meeting at De Kuip in matchday 13 of the 2024-25 Eredivisie season. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City officially announce that manager Pep Guardiola has signed a two-year contract extension. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Girona will be bidding to make it three straight wins in La Liga for the first time this season when they welcome Espanyol to Estadi Montilivi on Saturday evening. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk An in-form Las Palmas will be aiming to make it five wins from their last six matches in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign at home to Mallorca on Saturday night.