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Ajax vs Aston Villa predictions: Europa Conference League tips and odds
Aaron Ashley’s Ajax vs Aston Villa betting tips include 15/8, 14/5 and 13/2-priced selections, with the Villans backed for success
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Our betting expert has three Ajax vs Aston Villa tips for Thursday’s Europa Conference League round-of-16 first leg (5.45pm kick-off). Scroll down for the analysis behind his selections.
Ajax vs Aston Villa betting tips
- Aston Villa to win and both teams to score @ 15/8 with talkSPORT BET
- Ollie Watkins to be first Aston Villa goalscorer @ 14/5 with talkSPORT BET
- Aston Villa to win 2-1 @ 13/2 with talkSPORT BET
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Villans can edge attack-minded encounter
Dutch outfit Ajax were beaten twice by Brighton & Hove Albion by 2-0 margins in the group stage of the Europa League and the Eredivisie team will be keen to avoid a similar fate in their Europa Conference League last-16 tie with another Premier League side, Aston Villa.
Ajax have raised their game since the permanent appointment of John van ’t Schip as manager in October. But this still looks a tough test for them against Villa, who are fourth in the Premier League after 27 matches and the Europa Conference League favourites.
Unai Emery’s men have come up against Dutch opposition already this season, winning home and away against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League group stages, so should fancy their chances of claiming a first-leg lead at the Johan Cruyff Arena
While a Villa run of only one win from six matches in all competitions from early January and into February showed the West Midlanders were having a wobble, they have regained their form just in time for their trip to Amsterdam.
Villa travel to the Netherlands on the back of three straight Premier League successes over Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Luton, where Lucas Digne’s 89th-minute header bolstered their top-four aspirations
However, Emery’s side conceded in each of those victories, meaning both teams have scored in six of their past seven matches – and that should give Thursday’s hosts plenty of hope.
In the group phase of the Europa Conference League, Villa won four of their six games, but their only clean sheet came in a last-gasp 1-0 victory at home to Bosnian minnows Zrinjski back in October.
There were goals for both teams in five of their six European assignments, which included victories home and away against AZ.
Ajax are fifth in the Dutch top flight, one place and four points behind Alkmaar, although that is largely down to their poor start, with only one victory in their opening nine games.
Performances have picked up drastically under Van ’t Schip and they have lost only one of their past 12 home fixtures – a 2-0 defeat to Villa in the Europa League.
That suggests Ajax should be competitive and have enough to get on the scoresheet. But the Villans are a rise in class to what the Dutch outfit are used to, and can punish their defensive frailties.
Interestingly, both teams have scored in 15 of Ajax’s previous 17 matches in all competitions.
Ajax vs Aston Villa tip 1: Aston Villa to win and both teams to score @ 15/8 with talkSPORT BET
Watkins to further enhance growing reputation
Ollie Watkins has been the star of the show for Villa this season, firing home 21 goals in 37 matches, and he will be keen to advertise his expertise in Amsterdam.
He has netted five times across his past three appearances, while he played in only four of Villa’s six European group-stage matches yet scored both home and away against AZ.
So having opened the scoring in Villa’s previous three games, the confident 28-year-old looks a good bet to strike first for Emery’s men again on Thursday evening.
Ajax vs Aston Villa tip 2: Ollie Watkins to be first Aston Villa goal scorer @ 14/5 with talkSPORT BET
Visitors can claim slender first-leg lead
Goals look likely in Amsterdam, but if Villa get in front they will be keen to defend resolutely and take a first-leg lead back to their Birmingham base.
The Villans have won 10 away games this season in all competitions and six of those have been by a single goal, suggesting they may have to settle for a narrow margin of victory.
Three of those six away triumphs ended 2-1 and that was also the scoreline in their final two wins in the Europa Conference League group stage – at home to AZ and Legia Warsaw.
Ajax vs Aston Villa tip 3: Aston Villa to win 2-1 @ 13/2 with talkSPORT BET
Ajax vs Aston Villa odds
Odds are correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
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