It wasn't the best game last week, with few chances for the teams as Aston Villa came away from Ajax with a 0-0 draw in the first leg. That leaves it all to play for, but the English side are strong favourites, now they have home advantage, and they did maybe hold a slight upper hand last week, something I expect to see more of this time around.
Aston Villa Form GuideAston Villa went into the game last week as favourites to win away at Ajax, a real pinch me moment for their fans I'm sure. I like what they did last week, no risks, kept things solid at the back, and always knew that if the game ended as a tie, they would be fancied to finish the job when they returned home.
But they do have to bounce back after a really poor performance on Sunday, when they lost 4-0 at home to Tottenham. John McGinn's sending off didn't help Villa, but even before that, they were struggling to keep up, the change of competition here is something they'll like to use as a game changer.
Ajax Form GuideI didn't expect more from Ajax last week, because I'm not sure they have the quality to offer much more, but at the same time, I felt like they needed to do more, and get at least a one goal lead before coming into the second game. Villa withheld everything, and looked fairly comfortable, so Ajax are going to have to find another plan for this game.
They also played on Sunday, and also had a disappointing result, although it was a draw for Ajax, 2-2 at home to Fortuna Sittard, but that is a game they would have really fancied themselves to win.
Match PredictionI am siding with Aston Villa to get the win here. They defended well in the first game, now I expect a more attacking display at home. We didn't see much from Ajax last week, I think Aston Villa will be too strong here, they'll win the game and reach the quarter finals.
