Aston Villa vs RB Salzburg prediction 29.01.2026 | UEFA Europa League
Aston Villa
Kick off:
Date:
Red Bull Salzburg
1
1.50
X
4.93
2
6.96
Contents
- Competition: UEFA Europa League
- Date: 29th January, 2026
- Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21:00 CET
- Venue: Villa Park
Aston Villa host RB Salzburg in an intriguing UEFA Europa League Round 8 matchup, with both teams aiming to secure favourable positioning ahead of the knockout phase. Villa have already qualified for the last 16 and currently sit comfortably in second place in the group standings with 18 points from seven matches. By contrast, RB Salzburg lie near the bottom of their group with just 6 points, having struggled to turn performances into results, but they can still qualify for the playoffs if other results go their way.
Aston Villa team overview
Aston Villa arrive in this tie in strong form across both domestic and European competitions. In their most recent Europa League outing, Villa secured a 1‑0 victory away at Fenerbahçe, with Jadon Sancho scoring his first goal for the club, ensuring Villa maintained their high win percentage in the group phase. Villa now have six wins and only one defeat in their seven Europa League matches this season, showcasing both attacking and defensive effectiveness. Their recent overall form includes victories in the Premier League, including a 2-0 win over Newcastle last weekend, and notable competitive results, highlighting momentum ahead of this fixture.
Injury news has flagged some concern in midfield, particularly with reports that Boubacar Kamara may face a lengthy absence due to a knee issue and captain John McGinn is also dealing with fitness concerns, potentially limiting Unai Emery’s midfield options. Goalkeeper Emi Martínez is back to full fitness and is expected to start in goal on Thursday.
Last matches of Aston Villa
-
Newcastle United
0 : 2
Aston Villa
Premier League
-
Fenerbahce
0 : 1
Aston Villa
Europa League
-
Aston Villa
0 : 1
Everton
Premier League
-
Tottenham Hotspur
1 : 2
Aston Villa
FA Cup
-
Crystal Palace
0 : 0
Aston Villa
Premier League
Aston Villa lineup
Goalkeeper
-
40
Marco Bizot
Defenders
-
2
Matty Cash
-
3
Victor Lindelöf
-
5
Tyrone Mings
-
12
Lucas Digne
Midfielders
-
26
Lamare Bogarde
-
8
Youri Tielemans
-
27
Morgan Rogers
Forwards
-
19
Jadon Sancho
-
10
Emiliano Buendía
-
11
Ollie Watkins
RB Salzburg team overview
RB Salzburg’s Europa League campaign has been far less productive than Villa’s, with only two wins from seven matches and defensive and offensive records far worse than their English counterparts. Recent form for Salzburg has been inconsistent, with a 3‑1 home victory over Basel in their latest Europa League fixture being a rare high point. The Austrian Bundesliga is yet to return post-winter break; therefore, this will be Salzburg’s first competitive fixture of the new year.
Injury issues have not been widely reported for Salzburg at the time of writing, but tactical adjustments may be necessary to address lapses in concentration which have contributed to heavy defeats. Their away form in European competition remains a concern, as Salzburg have yet to secure a victory on the road in this Europa League season - no wins in three away trips with only one goal scored.
Last matches of Red Bull Salzburg
-
Red Bull Salzburg
3 : 1
Basel
Europa League
-
Red Bull Salzburg
2 : 0
Crvena Zvezda
Club Friendlies 3
-
Raków Częstochowa
1 : 1
Red Bull Salzburg
Club Friendlies 3
-
Red Bull Salzburg
0 : 5
Bayern Munich
Club Friendlies 1
-
Red Bull Salzburg
2 : 1
Wolfsberger AC
Admiral Bundesliga
Red Bull Salzburg lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Alexander Schlager
Defenders
-
37
Tim Trummer
-
23
Joane Gadou
-
44
Jannik Schuster
-
13
Frans Krätzig
Midfielders
-
8
Sota Kitano
-
18
Mads Bidstrup
-
5
Soumaïla Diabaté
Forwards
-
27
Kerim Alajbegović
-
20
Edmund Baidoo
-
11
Yorbe Vertessen
Prediction
From a statistical perspective, Aston Villa enter this clash as the clear favourite based on current form, goal differential, and home advantage. Villa’s robust defensive record and competitive winning record in European competition provide a strong foundation for predicting a positive result at Villa Park, where they have won all of their Europa League matches this season. We are confident Villa will record their seventh win in this competition on Thursday.
Prediction: Aston Villa to Win.
Three reasons we expect Aston Villa to Win
- Villa share a joint first-place in the Europa League standings with Olympique Lyon - both are level on 18 points.
- Villa have won six of their first seven Europa League fixtures.
- Salzburg have lost all three away fixtures in the Europa League this season.
Main prediction Aston Villa - Red Bull Salzburg
Aston Villa to win
Best Odds:
22bet
1.50
Aston Villa vs Red Bull Salzburg standings in Europa League
| League Stage | P | W | D | L |
G - A
|
GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olympique Lyonnais | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 14 - 3 | +11 | 18 |
| 2 | Aston Villa | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 11 - 4 | +7 | 18 |
| 3 | SC Freiburg | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 10 - 3 | +7 | 17 |
| 4 | FC Midtjylland | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 16 - 8 | +8 | 16 |
| 5 | Sporting Braga | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 11 - 5 | +6 | 16 |
| 6 | Roma | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 12 - 5 | +7 | 15 |
| 7 | Ferencvárosi | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 12 - 7 | +5 | 15 |
| 8 | Real Betis | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 11 - 6 | +5 | 14 |
| 9 | Porto | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 10 - 6 | +4 | 14 |
| 10 | Genk | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 - 6 | +3 | 13 |
| 11 | Crvena Zvezda | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 6 - 5 | +1 | 13 |
| 12 | PAOK | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 15 - 10 | +5 | 12 |
| 13 | VfB Stuttgart | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 12 - 7 | +5 | 12 |
| 14 | Celta de Vigo | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 14 - 10 | +4 | 12 |
| 15 | Bologna | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 11 - 7 | +4 | 12 |
| 16 | Nottingham Forest | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 11 - 7 | +4 | 11 |
| 17 | Viktoria Plzeň | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 7 - 3 | +4 | 11 |
| 18 | Fenerbahçe | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 - 6 | +3 | 11 |
| 19 | Panathinaikos | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 - 8 | +2 | 11 |
| 20 | Dinamo Zagreb | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 - 14 | -2 | 10 |
| 21 | LOSC Lille | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 11 - 9 | +2 | 9 |
| 22 | Brann | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 9 - 10 | -1 | 9 |
| 23 | Young Boys | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 8 - 13 | -5 | 9 |
| 24 | Celtic | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 - 13 | -4 | 8 |
| 25 | Ludogorets | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 11 - 15 | -4 | 7 |
| 26 | Feyenoord | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 10 - 13 | -3 | 6 |
| 27 | Basel | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 9 - 12 | -3 | 6 |
| 28 | Salzburg | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 8 - 12 | -4 | 6 |
| 29 | FCSB | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 8 - 15 | -7 | 6 |
| 30 | Go Ahead Eagles | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 6 - 14 | -8 | 6 |
| 31 | Rangers | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 - 11 | -7 | 4 |
| 32 | Sturm Graz | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 - 11 | -7 | 4 |
| 33 | Nice | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 - 14 | -7 | 3 |
| 34 | FC Utrecht | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 - 11 | -8 | 1 |
| 35 | Malmö FF | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 - 13 | -10 | 1 |
| 36 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 - 19 | -17 | 1 |