Aston Villa vs Ajax Prediction: Early Villa onslaught?

It's all to play for at Villa Park on Thursday night (KO, 20:00), as Aston Villa host Ajax in the second leg of their Europa Conference League round of 16 tie. The scores are level after a goalless draw in Amsterdam which was more notable for producing a couple of red cards.

We've previewed the return leg and detailed our Aston Villa vs Ajax prediction below.

Team News

Aston Villa will be forced into a change at the back following Ezri Konsa's dismissal in Amsterdam last week. Diego Carlos should return to the starting XI, but it remains to be seen whether Unai Emery uses him as an auxiliary right-back, in the same way he has done with Konsa, or if he replaces Clement Lenglet at centre-back with Matty Cash providing width on the right.

Left-back Alex Moreno is another possible addition to the starting XI after being benched for Lucas Digne in the last two games. John McGinn will start as his red card in Sunday's 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur only applies to the Premier League, but Nicolo Zaniolo is suspended after an accumulation of yellow cards in the competition.

Moussa Diaby and Tim Iroegbunam, who both started in the reverse fixture, are other options to come back into the starting line-up.

The visitors will be without Tristan Gooijer after the teenage defender quickly followed Konsa's red with one of his own last week. Devyne Rensch, who started in the first leg, can rejoin the side after sitting out Sunday's 2-2 draw with Fortuna Sittard through suspension.

Steven Bergwijn and Steven Berghuis are still out injured, however.

Match Odds

Villa are clear favourites at 2/5 to win the game inside 90 minutes, while Ajax are priced at 13/2 to do the same. The draw, which would take the tie into extra time and potentially penalties, is available at 4/1.

Both teams to score is 8/11, or you can back a repeat of the 0-0 at 16/1.

Aston Villa half-time/full-time @ EVS

There's little value to be had in backing Villa to win inside 90 minutes on Thursday, but I do strongly fancy them to beat a below-average Ajax with relative ease.

With that said, the half-time/full-time result on Villa piques some interest at EVS. Emery's outfit have lost four of their last five at home, but I would argue that the sides that beat them - Spurs, Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United - are all superior sides to Ajax, who have lost their last two away league matches against AZ Alkmaar and Heerenveen.

The Dutch giants were down at half-time in both of those games while there have been nine occasions at Villa Park this season where the hosts have been in the lead at the interval and gone on to win.

In front of a rousing atmosphere in B6, and after Sunday's humiliation, I expect Villa to take the game to their opponents and show why they were considered by some to be in a Premier League title race earlier this year.

Ollie Watkins to score first @ 7/2

The England international has 21 goals in all competitions this season, including five in the Europa Conference League, two of them against Dutch opposition (one in each game against AZ in the group stage).

Watkins has opened the scoring on six occasions, including in both of Villa's last two wins, away to Luton and at home against Nottingham Forest.

I expect Villa to get the first goal of the game on Thursday, and as their top scorer - by a distance - Watkins is inevitably the one to look to.

Check out the rest of our Football Betting Tips here.