Feyenoord vs Aston Villa
Robin van Persie has been a huge thorn in Aston Villa’s side in his playing career, and Feyenoord fans hope that it’ll be the case again on Thursday night, this time as a man watching on the touchline rather than scoring goals in the final third.
Feyenoord are gunning for their first Europa League win of the season when they host the Villans at De Kuip, following their narrow 1-0 loss to Braga during the first matchday. De Trots van Zuid are off to a positive start this 2025-26 season, as they’re on top of the Dutch Eredivisie table with 19 points out of a possible 21 in the first seven league matches.
In stark contrast, Aston Villa are 16th in the Premier League with six points, following a winless start. However, Unai Emery’s men have built momentum with key wins against Bologna in the first Europa League matchday and Fulham in the league last weekend.
Talking Points
Ueda leading the way for Feyenoord
Robin van Persie, who scored eight goals against Aston Villa during his time with Arsenal and Manchester United, returned as Feyenoord head coach last February, and his goalscoring ways have rubbed off on his players. One of his prime beneficiaries has been Ayase Ueda, who has hit a rich vein of form, having scored a team-high six goals in nine appearances so far this term.
Ueda has taken over as the team’s de facto No. 9, with Gaoussou Diarra, Anis Hadj-Moussa, and Sem Steijn helping him in the final third. Cyle Larin, who arrived on loan from Mallorca last summer, is Feyenoord’s backup striker.
De Trots van Zuid will miss several key players against Aston Villa. Centre-back Malcolm Jeng recently had leg surgery, joining Gernot Trauner (Achilles), Thomas Beelen (leg), and former Brighton midfielder Jakub Moder on the sidelines.
However, 26-year-old defender Anel Ahmedhodzic is available to return after serving a domestic suspension last weekend. Quinten Timber, the twin brother of Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber, will likely join Oussama Targhalline in the middle of the park.
Aston Villa could miss their captain
Aston Villa are sweating on the fitness of John McGinn, as he sustained a knock during the team’s 3-1 win against Fulham last weekend. The 30-year-old skipper scored the Villans’ second goal of the match in the 49th minute but had to come off the pitch in favour of Boubacar Kamara in the 72nd minute because he “couldn’t run properly.” If McGinn ultimately sits this one out, there will be more playing time for Kamara, Evann Guessand, Emiliano Buendia, and Lamare Bogarde, since Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans, and Ross Barkley are still out.
Tyrone Mings was also forced off against Fulham and has emerged as a major doubt. Because of his injury history, head coach Unai Emery may send Mings to the bench in favour of Pau Torres or Victor Lindelof to pair with Ezri Konsa in the heart of the defence.
History
Feyenoord and Aston Villa have faced off in a friendly match before, with the latter winning 3-1 in July 2010. However, this will be the first time they meet in a major European competition.
De Trots van Zuid have won just eight of their 28 European matches against English sides (D6, L14), though six of those have come on home soil. They are undefeated across their last six Europa League home matches (W4, D2), scoring three goals on average per match.
Aston Villa are unbeaten across their five major European matches against Dutch opposition (W4, D1), marking their longest undefeated run against a specific nation. Thursday marks their first Europa League/UEFA Cup away match since a 2-0 loss to CSKA Moscow in February 2009.
Overall, the Villans alternated between winning and losing their last seven away matches, losing their last against PSG in April earlier this year.
Betting Tip
The Europa League 2025 odds predict a tight contest between Feyenoord and Aston Villa. Following their recent run of results, Aston Villa were given the slight edge at 2.35, while Feyenoord aren’t far behind at 2.76, and a draw is at 3.18 in the 1X2 market.
Both sides are expected to create new Europa League 2025 highlights with their collective firepower, but choosing the winner of this contest is difficult. SBOTOP bettors can also add Over 2.25 at 1.74 and Over 2.50 at 2.01 to the parlay. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 3-1 in favour of the Villans – the result of their first encounter – is on offer at a whopping 21.00 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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