Aston Villa face Ajax on Thursday evening in the decisive second leg of the Europa Conference League round of 16, a game that could present a significant opportunity for Leon Bailey.
Aston Villa are preparing for their blockbuster European battle with Ajax on Thursday, as Unai Emery’s side eye a place in the Europa Conference League quarter-finals.
In the first leg, the Villans were held to a 0-0 draw in Amsterdam with the talk of the fixture being the sending-off of Ezri Konsa, who will as a result be suspended for the second leg.
Following Sunday afternoon’s bitterly disappointing defeat to Tottenham in the Premier League, Villa Park will hope to host a magical European night under the lights on Thursday.
Emery will not only have his sights set on advancing into the next round of the competition but will hope to see an improved performance from his team after Sunday’s 4-0 loss, something that could be helped if he is to make one change.
The change that Unai Emery must make against Ajax
In the first leg, the manager opted to rest Leon Bailey and decided to field Moussa Diaby in his place on the right wing.
The decision was made with the looming contest with Spurs in mind, with the Jamaican being one of Villa’s key players throughout the season.
While swapping in Diaby for Bailey wasn’t the worst move for the manager to make, the Frenchman struggled to get into the game at times, registering only seven passes and making 21 touches on the ball during his 63-minute cameo, via Sofascore.
Thursday evening’s fixture is a must-win for the hosts, who will have a point to prove after their demolition at the hands of Spurs, with Emery having the chance to get the best from Bailey once more due to one Ajax weakness.
How Leon Bailey can expose one Ajax frailty
With 22 goal contributions in all competitions this season so far for Villa, Bailey has been in searing form playing out wide on the right in Emery’s free-flowing system.
Lauded as being “impossible to play against” at times by journalist John Townley, the 26-year-old could expose one of Ajax’s key frailties, which was seen during their 2-2 draw in the Eredivisie last week.
On Sunday, John van ‘t Schip’s side were held to a draw against Fortuna Sittard, with both of the goals that the hosts conceded coming from play down the right channel.
After reviewing Ajax’s performance, Emery could be inspired to field Bailey over Diaby, a move that could see the in-form winger terrorise the Dutch outfit and further exploit their weaknesses in that area.
Averaging 2.3 successful dribbles per game in the Europa Conference League this season, unleashing the Jamaican could hand Villa a significant advantage over the opposition, who will dread coming up against the 26-year-old.
