Aston Villa face Freiburg in Istanbul this evening with the Europa League title on the line.
Unai Emery’s side started the season slowly, but with a seasoned Europa League specialist in the dugout have hit form at the perfect time and are odds-on to clinch a first European title since they won the Intertoto Cup in 2001.
Their run to the final has seen them beat the likes of Lille, Bologna, and, most recently, Vitor Pereira’s Nottingham Forest.
Freiburg of the Bundesliga are now all that stands between them and some silverware. They finished seventh in the German table this season but have excelled on the continent, dispatching solid opposition in Genk, Celta Vigo and Braga to reach the Istanbul showpiece.
Freiburg, catchily nicknamed Breisgau-Brasilianer, last brought silverware home in 2016 when they won the 2. Bundesliga to earn promotion back to the top-flight, and stand to become European champions one short decade later.
Emery, though, knows no tournament better than this one. He is the winningest coach in its history, having won it a remarkable four times: thrice with Sevilla and once with Villarreal.
He could have had a fifth title already under his belt in the competition as he steered Arsenal to the final in 2018, only to be beaten by Chelsea.
How to watch Freiburg vs Aston Villa
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting from 6pm BST ahead of an 8pm kick-off.
Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the HBO Max app and website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog!
