Aston Villa vs Salzburg prediction, H2H and probable lineups — 29 January 2026
As part of the eighth round of the main stage of the UEFA Europa League, English side Aston Villa will face off against Austria's RB Salzburg. The clash is set for Birmingham on Thursday, January 29. Kick-off is scheduled for 21:00 Central European Time. I’m backing a bet on goals in this encounter.
Match preview
Aston Villa is one of just two teams to have already secured a top-eight finish and a direct ticket to the Europa League round of 16. The other is French side Lyon. In this European campaign, the Birmingham club has won seven out of eight matches, losing only to Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles (1-2). Most of Aston Villa's victories have been by narrow margins, with the team typically scoring one or two goals per match. The main key to Unai Emery's side’s success is their rock-solid defence: just four goals conceded in the tournament, half of which came in their sole defeat.
Overall, Aston Villa are in fantastic form. Over their last 18 matches, they’ve suffered only two defeats while claiming 15 wins. A recent slip-up in the Premier League against Everton (0-1) didn’t derail them: they bounced back with a confident win over Fenerbahce in the Europa League (1-0) and a 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the Premier League, once again relying on disciplined and organized defending.
Salzburg’s form is less clear-cut. The Austrian side went over a month without an official match and has played just once in 2026 so far—a 3-1 Europa League victory over Basel. Bosnian winger Kerim Alajbegović netted a brace in that game, further raising expectations at the club and fuelling transfer speculation. The match against Aston Villa will be another opportunity for him to showcase his talent.
Salzburg prepared for this fixture with a series of friendlies against tough opponents. The Austrians suffered a heavy defeat to Bayern Munich (0-5), drew with Polish side Raków (1-1), and beat Serbian outfit Crvena Zvezda (2-0).
Salzburg's Europa League campaign has been anything but successful. After eight rounds, they have just six points and sit 28th in the standings. Even a win over Aston Villa wouldn’t guarantee a top-24 finish, but it would keep their playoff hopes alive. Any other result means elimination from the competition. Expect the visitors to throw everything forward in search of victory and hope for favourable results elsewhere.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Four of Aston Villa’s last five matches have featured fewer than three goals.
- Salzburg have lost just one of their last four official matches.
- This will be the first-ever meeting between these two teams.
Probable lineups
- Aston Villa: Bizot - Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne - Bogarde, Tielemans, Rogers - Sancho, Buendia, Watkins
- Salzburg: Schlager - Trummer, Gadou, Schuster, Krätzig - Kitano, Bidstrup, Diabate - Baidoo, Alajbegović, Onisiwo
Prediction
Despite Aston Villa’s solid defensive record this season, there’s a strong chance this match will be an open, attacking affair. Only a win will do for Salzburg, so expect the Austrians to push forward aggressively, which could leave them vulnerable to dangerous counterattacks. Meanwhile, Aston Villa can play with freedom, having already achieved their group-stage goals. Taking all this into account, the best bet looks to be over 2.5 goals at a solid price.
