Aston Villa have scored more than two goals in just one of their 14 games this season
Maccabi Tel Aviv have conceded only four goals in this season’s Israeli Premier League
Recommended bet: Under 2.5 Aston Villa goals
Aston Villa will be aiming to get back on track in the Europa League when they welcome Maccabi Tel Aviv to Villa Park for Matchday Four of the league phase on Thursday.
After beginning their continental campaign with back-to-back wins against Bologna and Feyenoord, Villa surprisingly let a lead slip as they were beaten at Go Ahead Eagles in their last European fixture.
Since then, Unai Emery's team have had contrasting fortunes in the Premier League, beating Manchester City on home soil before most recently going down 2-0 at Liverpool.
Opponents Maccabi are going well domestically as they are unbeaten in the Israeli Premier League, but just one point from three matches in the Europa League has left them off the pace in the battle to qualify for the knockout stages.
The latest Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
Villa were dealt a blow at the weekend, as defender Tyrone Mings suffered a hamstring injury in the defeat at Liverpool that could keep him out of action for the rest of the year.
Mings joins Emiliano Buendia (foot), Youri Tielemans (calf) and Andres Garcia (unspecified) on the treatment table, while Ross Barkley is ineligible for the Europa League.
In better news, loan star Harvey Elliott could return after being unable to feature against parent club Liverpool.
Maccabi captain Dor Peretz has eight goals for the season and is expected to lead the line once more, while Cape Verde international Helio Varela and defensive midfielder Kristijan Belic, who is on loan from AZ Alkmaar, are among the other key figures in Zarko Lazetic's squad.
The latest Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv odds are available on LiveScore Bet
The stats
This will be Aston Villa's first ever meeting with a team from Israel.
Villa have won four home matches on the bounce and have only lost one of their last 27 games at Villa Park across all competitions — a 3-0 Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace in August.
This match will take place three years to the day since Unai Emery’s first game in charge of Villa.
Maccabi are unbeaten in nine Israeli Premier League games this season but have taken just one point from their three league phase matches in the Europa League.
The Israeli champions have lost all four of their previous meetings with English opposition, suffering home and away defeats to both Chelsea and Stoke.
Excluding qualifiers, Maccabi have lost eight of their last 11 matches in European competition.
The latest Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Aston Villa's fantastic home record — Crystal Palace are the only visiting side to have won at Villa Park since August 2024 — coupled with Maccabi's poor form in European competition means this should end in a routine victory for the hosts.
The odds certainly reflect that — Villa are 1/6 to win — but there could be value in siding with Emery's men to score no more than two goals.
Villa have only managed to score more than twice in one of their 14 matches across all competitions this season and they have netted just four times in their opening three Europa League fixtures.
Maccabi held PAOK to a goalless draw in their league phase opener and although they have shipped goals in their two European games since then, they have conceded just four times in nine Israeli Premier League matches this term.
Villa have the quality to come through this test, but if recent form is anything to go by, they are unlikely to blow Maccabi away.
Back under 2.5 Aston Villa goals at 4/5 with LiveScore Bet
The latest Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv odds are available on LiveScore Bet
