Aston Villa and Freiburg face the same two problems heading into the Europa League final in Istanbul. Both sides will play one more match before flying out to Turkey for the competition's showpiece event at the Turpas Stadium.
Final League Matches Before the Showdown
They will each receive a send-off from their home supporters at Villa Park and the Europa-Park-Stadion respectively. Villa face Liverpool on Friday night, while Freiburg host RB Leipzig on Saturday. A win for Villa would seal their place in next season's Champions League, while a draw could also be enough, provided Bournemouth fail to beat Manchester City the night before the Europa League final. This means Unai Emery cannot afford to rotate his team heavily without risking the club's ambition of finishing in the top five.
Freiburg, meanwhile, may need to beat Leipzig at home to confirm their place in next season's Conference League, particularly if they go on to lose the final against Villa just days later. Currently sitting in seventh place, Freiburg have both Frankfurt and Augsburg just one point behind them heading into the final round of Bundesliga fixtures.
The Challenge of Istanbul
Aside from the issue of both managers not having the luxury of resting their best players ahead of the final, Istanbul itself presents another challenge. Villa and Freiburg have both shown strong home form this season, yet have struggled on the road in recent months. Villa rank fifth in the Premier League for home points won this season, with only three teams recording more home victories. Only six Bundesliga teams have a better home record than Freiburg, while the German side have lost the third-most away matches this season, suffering 10 defeats.
Freiburg have also failed to win any of their last four away matches in all competitions, losing their last three in a row. They have managed just four wins in their last 19 away games. In seven Europa League away matches this season, Freiburg have won two, drawn two, and lost three. Villa, meanwhile, have managed just one away league win this calendar year, although they did pick up victories against Lille and Bologna in European competition.
Of course, both teams will be playing away from home in the final, albeit at a neutral venue with an equal number of Villa and Freiburg supporters. It adds another intriguing dimension to next week's showdown.
