Aston Villa team news confirmed as Unai Emery makes surprise decision vs Monaco
Unai Emery has named his Aston Villa starting XI to take on AS Monaco at the Stade Louis II in the Champions League.
He has opted to make three changes to the side which came back from behind to draw 2-2 against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. In come Lucas Digne, Leon Bailey and Emi Buendia, who makes his first start in the Champions League.
From back to front, Emi Martinez starts in goal behind a defence of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Digne. Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans operate in the double pivot, while Bailey plays off the right and Morgan Rogers on the left. Buendia supports Ollie Watkins in attack.
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Monaco are in poor form after losing to Ligue 1’s bottom club Montpellier at the weekend, while they’ve only won one of their last eight matches, which came against lower league side Union Saint-Jean in the French Cup.
Villa, meanwhile, picked two strong results last week after defeating David Moyes’s Everton at Goodison Park before coming back from two goals behind to draw 2-2 at Arsenal.
Villa XI vs Monaco: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, Bailey, Buendia, Rogers, Watkins.
Subs: Gauci, Olsen, Nedeljkovic, Bogarde, Maatsen, Swinkels, Young, Ramsey, Duran.
Monaco XI vs Villa: Majecki, Vanderson, Singo, Kehrer, Mawissa, Zakaria, Camara, Akliouche, Minamino, Ben Saghir, Embolo.
Subs: Kohn, Lienard, Henrique, Ouattara, Salisu, Teze, Bouabre, Diatta, Diop, Golovin, Magassa, Michal.
