Freiburg vs Aston Villa Europa League final preview: Where to watch, possible line-ups, form guide, analysis and coaches' views
Sunday, May 17, 2026
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When is it? How can you watch it? What are the predicted line-ups? All you need to know about the UEFA Europa League final between Freiburg and Aston Villa.
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Freiburg and Aston Villa meet in the UEFA Europa League final at Beşiktaş Park on Wednesday 20 May.
We preview the action as first-time continental finalists Freiburg take on the 1981/82 European champions.
Match at a glance
When: Wednesday 20 May (21:00 CET)
Where: Beşiktaş Park, Istanbul
What: UEFA Europa League final
Who: Germany's Freiburg take on Unai Emery's Villa
How to follow: Build-up and live coverage can be found here
Where to watch the game on TV
Fans can find their local UEFA Europa League broadcast partner(s) here.
What do you need to know?
On the bustling banks of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, one of Freiburg or Aston Villa will write a significant new chapter in their club's history with a victory which would mean a huge amount to both sides.
Freiburg have never won a major trophy, with their best Europa League performance prior to this season a round of 16 appearance in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns. After a seventh-placed finish in the league phase, they have not stopped scoring in the knockouts, netting three times or more in four of their six games to see off Genk, Celta and Braga.
Julian Schuster's side are an entertaining watch, with the likes of their top scorer Vincenzo Grifo, exciting Japanese winger Yuito Suzuki and talented 20-year-old midfielder Johan Manzambi all playing a huge part in their progression. Now the question is whether this young team can step up on the big stage.
Villa, meanwhile, have their sights set on a first trophy in 30 years. After winning seven of their eight league phase games to finish second, they have since disposed of Lille, Bologna and Nottingham Forest in the knockout rounds.
Along with the leadership of John McGinn, the creativity of Morgan Rogers and the goals of Ollie Watkins, arguably Villa's biggest strength is their coach Unai Emery. The master tactician will be appearing at a record-extending sixth Europa League final as a coach. He has won four times and his vast experience at this stage could prove key as the competition's two top-scoring teams go head-to-head.
Predicted line-ups
Freiburg: Atubolu; Kübler, Ginter, Lienhart, Treu; Eggestein, Manzambi; Beste, Höler, Grifo; Matanović
- Julian Schuster has had to adjust his favoured line-up late in the season after Yuito Suzuki suffered a collarbone fracture, but otherwise everyone is available. "That's no given, playing three times a week," Schuster said. "A huge thank you to all our trainers, doctors, physios."
Aston Villa: Martínez; Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Digne; Lindelöf, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Buendía; Watkins
- The biggest question mark is over the fitness of Amadou Onana, who has not featured since limping off with a calf problem in the semi-final first leg. In his absence, Emery may well turn to the dependable Victor Lindelöf, who deputised impressively at home to Forest but went off with a foot problem himself on Friday.
Form guide
Freiburg
Form (all competitions, most recent first): WLWDLL
Latest: Freiburg 4-1 Leipzig, 16/05, German Bundesliga
Where they finished: Seventh in German Bundesliga
Aston Villa
Form (all competitions, most recent first): WDWLLL
Latest: Aston Villa 4-2 Liverpool, 15/05, English Premier League
Where they stand: Fourth in English Premier League
Reporters' views
Judith Tuffentsammer, Freiburg reporter: Who would have imagined just a few months ago that Freiburg would end this season in a first-ever European final? Steady, dogged work and a focus on developing players from their youth system have already led them to the greatest success and now they have their eyes firmly on the prize: winning the club's first title 122 years after they were founded. Can the Black Forest side crown a fairy-tale run in Istanbul?
John Atkin, Aston Villa reporter: There were tears of joy at Villa Park among the class of 1996 following the exultant semi-final second leg against Forest, but the English side's 30-year wait for a major trophy is not over yet. Though Emery's men have struggled for consistency over the past couple of months, this competition has consistently brought the best out of them, and if they can recreate the magic they conjured last time out, Villa will be hard to stop.
From the archives
Views from the camps
Julian Schuster, Freiburg coach: "It's already really special. We do have to mention that we want to take that final step and not just be content to reach a final. We are actually really motivated to win it. The sense of support and solidarity in [Freiburg] is stronger than ever. It's great. That's the power of football, that it can captivate so many people and bring them together. It's a really nice feeling and we're enjoying the moment."
Unai Emery, Aston Villa coach: "It's something special to play one final in Istanbul and we can feel proud of how we achieved it. Now enjoy it, enjoy the process, enjoy the final, enjoy preparing the game, respecting the competition, respecting the final, respecting Freiburg."