Match Preview: VILLA v MŠK Žilina

By: Chris | December 2nd, 2008

Aston Villa v MŠK Žilina
UEFA Cup Group Stage
Villa Park
Thursday 4th December 2008, 7.45pm

Aston Villa head into UEFA Cup matchday 3 needing only a point to qualify for the next phase. Our opponents are Slovakian side MŠK Žilina, and having recently been stung by Newcastle United, Middlesbrough and Fulham, you’d hope Villa boss Martin O’Neill will have the team ready for a professional, winning performance.

Team News

The team selection for Aston Villa on Thursday night is, frankly, anyone’s guess. I fully expect Martin O’Neill to underestimate MŠK (despite officially sanctioned noises to the contrary), but then I fully expected on my arrival at Slavia Prague to see a full-strength team. Instead, I (wrongly) angrily greeted the news that a couple of reserves were starting and I’d travelled to the Czech Republic to watch a poor Villa team lose. More fool me - we sealed a fantastic win, and Brad Guzan and Moustapha Salifou were the best players on the park.

The Mail thinks the reserves will get a go. I’m in two minds about whether this is a good thing. Yes, we need to win. And yes, we need to show them more respect than we probably will. But when it comes to the crunch, the team that beat Slavia should be good enough to beat MŠK - it’s all down to how O’Neill prepares them.

Unsurprisingly, I don’t have any MŠK team news. Let’s assume Dusan Radolský, who spent a period as interim manager of Slovakia, has a fully fit squad to choose from. Let’s face it, it won’t make much difference - we won’t have heard of any of them anyway.

Why MŠK Žilina at home is a must-win

After successive European wins over Ajax and Slavia Prague, Villa are in the driving seat in UEFA Cup Group F. Though a draw seals qualification, we need to beat MŠK to keep our eyes on top spot.

If we win on Thursday night, the only way Villa could fail to top Group F is on goal difference. With that in mind, it would be great to grab a big win at Villa Park and all-but win the group with a game to spare. Being able to rest the key players and play the kids in Hamburg in mid-December would be a real bonus as we head into the busy Christmas schedule.

However Martin O’Neill approaches this match, any kind of result sees Aston Villa through the UEFA Cup groups. Personally, that was the point at which I said I’d be happy back in August - it’d be a very good achievement and we’d have got there without breaking a sweat. Still, best to get it signed, sealed and delivered at the earliest opportunity, eh Martin?

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