Scottish Premiership team Hibernian will face Premier League side Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League play-off in a battle between Scotland and England on Wednesday. Hibs will be eager to secure a positive first-leg result to boost their chances of advancing to the group stage, marking their first true European campaign in years. Despite performing well in the qualifying rounds, Hibs have struggled domestically in the Scottish Premier League, suffering two defeats in their opening fixtures. On the other hand, Aston Villa suffered a heavy defeat to Newcastle before bouncing back with a win against Everton.
The match between Hibs and Villa is scheduled for Wednesday, August 23, with kick-off set for 5:45pm BST. The game will be broadcast live on BBC Scotland and can be streamed on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.
In terms of team news, Hibs should have Jake Doyle-Hayes back from injury, and Dylan Vente is expected to start after going off injured in the previous game. However, Dylan Levitt will not be available for the match. Villa may give a debut to new loan signing Nicolo Zaniolo, and John McGinn will be hoping to face his former club. Several players, including Philippe Coutinho, Alex Moreno, Jacob Ramsey, Emi Buendia, Tyrone Mings, and Leander Dendoncker, are sidelined due to injuries.
The predicted lineups for the match are as follows: Hibs – Marshall, Fish, Hanlon, Stevenson, Miller, Jeggo, Boyle, Newell, Obita, Vente, Doidge; Villa – Martinez, Cash, Carlos, Torres, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, Bailey, Diaby, McGinn, Watkins.
The betting odds for the match are as follows: Hibs 21/2, Draw 19/4, Villa 2/11.
In terms of a prediction, Villa has the advantage and can secure a win away from home if they attack in the same manner as they did in the previous game. The predicted scoreline is Hibs 1-2 Aston Villa.
