Aston Villa enter this year's Europa League as the team to beat, and their early form has backed up that label. Unai Emery's side have taken three wins from their first four group games, with only that surprise 2-1 stumble at Go Ahead Eagles slowing their momentum.
They are heavy favourites once again on Thursday, facing a Young Boys team that has picked up six points so far but arrives in Birmingham licking its wounds after a 4-0 hammering against PAOK. This is, without question, their toughest assignment of the league stage.
Domestically, Young Boys sit second in Switzerland, but this Villa side is a different beast altogether. The West Midlands club have rattled off nine victories in their last eleven outings and have shown a knack for squeezing out wins even when they aren’t firing on all cylinders. Sunday’s 2-1 triumph over Leeds was a perfect example. Villa were second best for long stretches yet still found a way to cross the finish line with all three points.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
How to watch Aston Villa vs Young Boys online - TV channels & live streams
 | DAZN | Watch here |
The game is available to watch and stream live on DAZN in Canada.
How to watch anywhere with VPN
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.
Aston Villa vs Young Boys kick-off time
The match will be played at Villa Park on Thursday, with kick-off at 12:45 pm ET for fans in Canada.
Team news & squads
Aston Villa vs Young Boys lineups
4-2-3-1
Formation
3-4-2-1
YBAVL-Line up
AVLSubstitutes
Manager
U. Emery
YB-Line up
YBSubstitutes
Manager
G. Seoane
Injuries and Suspended players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Aston Villa team news
For this matchup, Villa remain without Ross Barkley, who is not eligible for the tournament. Andres Garcia continues his recovery from a muscle issue, and Tyrone Mings is still dealing with thigh trouble. Emery is expected to stick with his trusted 4-4-2 setup, with Emiliano Martinez between the posts and a back four of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres and Lucas Digne.
The midfield should feature John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendía, providing the platform for Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins to lead the line.
Young Boys team news
Young Boys make the trip without Edimilson Fernandes, who has a muscle injury, and Facinet Conte, who also misses out. Gerardo Seoane is expected to deploy a 4-2-3-1, with Marvin Keller guarding the net.
The defensive unit will likely consist of Saidy Janko, Sandro Lauper, Loris Benito and Jaouen Hadjam. Rayan Raveloson and Armin Gigovic should anchor the midfield, while Christian Fassnacht, Alvyn Sanches and Alan Virginius slot in behind striker Chris Bedia.
Form
AVL-Form
AVLLeeds
1
-
2
Aston Villa
W
Aston Villa
4
-
0
Bournemouth
W
Aston Villa
2
-
0
Maccabi Tel Aviv
W
Liverpool
2
-
0
Aston Villa
L
Aston Villa
1
-
0
Manchester City
W
- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 9/3
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 2/5
- Both teams scored
- 1/5
YB-Form
YBYoung Boys
5
-
0
Winterthur
W
St. Gallen
1
-
4
Young Boys
W
PAOK Thessaloniki FC
4
-
0
Young Boys
L
Young Boys
0
-
0
Basel
D
Grasshopper
3
-
3
Young Boys
D
- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 12/8
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 4/5
- Both teams scored
- 2/5
Head-to-Head Record
AVLLast match
YB