Kicking off a three-match pre-season tour in the USA, Aston Villa and Eintracht Frankfurt will clash at Louisville’s Lynn Family Stadium this Saturday.
Unai Emery’s squad has endured two lackluster defeats in their pre-season campaign so far, while the Bundesliga side recently clinched a thrilling 3-2 victory against local rivals FSV Frankfurt.
England’s Lionesses are shining at the European Championships, but Aston Villa’s Lions have struggled to find their bite in pre-season, dropping both of their initial warm-up matches.
Emery’s team began their summer schedule with a 1-0 loss to League Two’s Walsall, followed by a trip to Germany to face Hansa Rostock on July 19, where the third-tier side pulled off a stunning upset. Jacob Ramsey opened the scoring for a Villa lineup featuring Ross Barkley, Tyrone Mings, Pau Torres, Boubacar Kamara, and new goalkeeper Marco Bizot, but Hansa Rostock rallied to secure a 3-1 victory on home turf.
To be fair, Villa’s second-half lineup was largely composed of inexperienced youth players, while Emery will rely on his core group of established stars for the American tour.
Set to compete in the Europa League—at least for now—Villa will also face MLS sides St Louis City and Nashville during their US stint, before wrapping up their pre-season with exciting European friendlies against Roma, Marseille, and Emery’s former club, Villarreal.
Villa earned their Europa League spot after Crystal Palace was excluded from the competition due to a multi-club ownership issue—though the Eagles have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt’s place in Europe’s elite competitions is secure.
Under Dino Toppmöller, Die Adler claimed a third-place finish in the 2024-25 Bundesliga season, earning a spot in the Champions League league phase, trailing only champions Bayern Munich and runners-up Bayer Leverkusen.
Frankfurt closed their season unbeaten in their final five matches, despite a gut-wrenching Europa League quarter-final exit to eventual champions Tottenham Hotspur. Their pre-season form has been nothing short of dominant, with an astonishing 24 goals scored across three friendlies: 14 against FSV Geislitz 1947, seven against SC Weimar 1903, and three in their 3-2 win over FSV Frankfurt on July 19.
Tougher challenges lie ahead for Die Adler, who will play their first match since Hugo Ekitike’s departure, with the striker’s record-equaling €95m (£82.4m) transfer to Liverpool confirmed on Wednesday, matching the fee Frankfurt received for Randal Kolo Muani’s move to Paris Saint-Germain two years ago.
Aston Villa hasn’t officially announced their pre-season tour squad, but goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was spotted boarding the plane amid rumors of a potential transfer to Manchester United. The Argentine is likely to start in goal on Saturday, though Ollie Watkins, who pulled out of England’s June squad with a minor thigh issue, was absent from Villa’s official travel photos.
While Watkins may still be part of the squad, his absence could pave the way for new signing Zepiqueno Redmond to make an impact in the starting lineup.
Frankfurt, meanwhile, have yet to reinvest the funds from Ekitike’s transfer, but his exit opens the door for former Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi to vie for a regular starting role. With Elye Wahi and Jonathan Burkardt also competing for spots up top, Frankfurt’s attacking options remain strong, though striker Jessic Ngankam is still out with a leg fracture.
Injuries to Kaua Santos (ACL), Arthur Theate (arm), Mario Götze (muscle), and Tuta (muscle) will keep them sidelined, but promising midfielder Hugo Larsson has recovered from a cold and should be ready to play.
