ASTON Villa will play their final friendly before the start of the Premier League on Saturday when they take on Borussia Dortmund at the famous Signal Iduna Park.
Villa have had a rollercoaster of a pre-season so far as they prepare for Champions League football, winning three and losing three in six outings.
Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, have played two games fewer than the Villains but have also had a mixed bag of results.
The match will provide Unai Emery's men with a stern test before the serious stuff begins next week and as an added bonus, it will give them some vital experience of playing at one of Europe's biggest stadiums ahead of their Champions League adventure.
How the bookies view it: Dortmund are expected to win
Borussia Dortmund are the favourites coming into the match, which is fair when you consider the experience and quality they possess. Aston Villa have welcomed back some key players this week, though, which makes their price as underdogs quite appealing.
A Borussia Dortmund victory has been priced at 4/5 with Betfred while an Aston Villa win has been priced at 13/5. The draw, which wouldn't be a bad result for Aston Villa, has also been priced at 13/5.
Recent head-to-head: The first-ever meeting
This is the first time that Aston Villa have ever faced Borussia Dortmund before but it might not be the last given that both clubs will be competing in the Champions League this season. Borussia Dortmund have played 31 matches against English clubs in their history, winning 11, drawing 5 and losing 15.
Players to watch: The return of several key players
Aston Villa have welcomed back two of their most important players this week in Emiliano Martínez and Ollie Watkins after the pair were given an extended rest after their efforts at the Copa America and Euro 2024 respectively.
Martinez has come back with yet another international winners medal while Watkins just missed out in the final of the Euros but both men will now be fully focused on Aston Villa and how they can build on what was a stunning season for the club last season.
On a personal note, Watkins had his best-ever Premier League season in 2023/24, scoring 19 goals for Aston Villa as they finished inside the top four. To truly be regarded as a world-class striker, he will need to back those numbers up this season with a similar campaign.
Predicted line-ups
In addition to Martinez and Watkins, Aston Villa will also welcome Ezri Konsa back into the fold this week. However, they will be without Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings due to injury.
It's all change at Borussia Dortmund after Jadon Sancho returned to Man Utd and star striker, Niclas Füllkrug signed for West Ham. Former Brighton man, Pascal Gross, should start in midfield.
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel – Couto, Schlotterbeck, Anton, Bensebaini – Sabitzer, Gross – Adeyemi, Reyna, Bynoe-Gittens – Haller
Aston Villa: Martinez – Cash, Bogarde, Torres, Moreno – Tielemans, Onana – Bailey, McGinn, Ramsey – Watkins
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams have been involved in high-scoring pre-season matches this summer with a minimum of three goals being scored in three of Dortmund's four matches and in four of Aston Villa's six. Over 2.5 goals to be scored is priced at 1/2 with Betfred.
This Club Friendly match between Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa will be played on Aug 10, 2024 and kick off at 16:00. Check below for our tipsters best Borussia Dortmund vs Aston Villa prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
