ASTON VILLA have the chance to banish their Europa Conference League gloom by beating Liverpool to guarantee a top-four Premier League place and a seat at Europe's top table next term.
Unai Emery's men lost 2-0 in Greece on Thursday to miss out on a Euro final by some distance as Olympiacos completed a 6-2 aggregate win in the semi-final.
Now attention turns back to domestic matters and a win over the Reds would nail down fourth place and Champions League qualification, although Villa have probably done enough already with rivals Spurs in freefall.
Liverpool were hoping to still be in the title race at this stage but their own collapse has left nothing but pride to play for as they bid to end Jurgen Klopp's reign as manager on a positive note.
How the bookies view it: Tired Villa must defy odds
With Aston Villa coming off the back of a draining midweek defeat and short on numbers due to injuries, it's no surprise to see Liverpool as favourites at 7/10 with Bet365. Emery's side are 16/5 and the stalemate pays 10/3.
Recent head to head: Reds on a roll
Aston Villa famously routed Klopp's side 7-2 back in 2020 but they haven't tasted victory in this fixture since then. Liverpool are unbeaten in the last seven meetings, with six of those matches ending in victories.
Players to watch: Shine on Harvey
Harvey Elliott was superb for Liverpool in their win over Spurs and capped his display with a screamer. The youngster is 6/4 here for a goal or assist with Bet365.
Emery would normally want to freshen things up after a midweek Euro game but his options are limited with so many players out. Liverpool still look vulnerable against decent wingers and Leon Bailey is 13/10 to score or assist.
Probable teams
Emery is hoping Alex Moreno, Morgan Rogers, Nicolo Zaniolo and Youri Tielemans will recover from injuries in time to feature. Liverpool have no fresh injury issues.
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Carlos, Digne, Tielemans, Luiz, McGinn, Diaby, Bailey, Watkins
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, Van Dijk, Roberston, Endo, Mac Allister, Elliott, Salah, Gakpo, Diaz
Anything else catch the eye? Goals look guaranteed
Both managers play with a high defensive line and set their teams up to attack so this should be an open game. But combining BTTS and over 2.5 goals only pays 8/15 with Bet365 and even over 3.5 strikes is odds-on at 4/5.
Backing a busy night for the Villa keeper brought up one of our Super Singles on Thursday and the same market appeals here. Bet365 price Emi Martinez at 10/11 for over 3.5 saves and the odds increase to 9/4 if you add another save to that.
Tired Villa legs could lead to a few fouls and I like the 13/8 at Bet365 for John McGinn to commit to over 1.5 fouls. The same firm also price over 1.5 Aston Villa offsides at 11/10 and that looks good against a Liverpool defence that always pushes forward.
This English Premier League match between Aston Villa and Liverpool will be played on May 13, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Aston Villa vs Liverpool prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
