Young Boys v Aston Villa: Prediction, Tips and Odds

UEFA Champions League debutants Aston Villa make their return to European football's biggest competition after a 41-year absence with a trip to Switzerland to face Young Boys.

Villa head for the Stadion Wankdorf fresh from a 3-2 win over Everton and having won both away games this season and they will fancy that a Young Boys side who find themselves bottom of the Swiss Super League are there for the taking.

Young Boys v Aston Villa betting tips and predictions

Aston Villa & Under 3.5 Goals - 15/8

After four decades of looking in from the outside Villa are back in the UEFA Champions League and can get off to a winning start.

Unai Emery's men are in Bern in Switzerland to take on Young Boys, competition regulars but off to an indifferent start to the season and there for the taking.

It may be a new competition for Villa, but it isn't for Emery, who has led five other clubs into the UEFA Champions League and that experience could prove critical.

Young Boys are regulars and only last season reached the group stage where they lost home and away to Manchester City in a campaign that ultimately yielded four points.

But that was last season. This season they have started terribly under new manager Patrick Rahmen, with three draws and three losses in six games leaving them bottom of the Swiss Super League.

They did pip Galatasaray 3-2 at home and 1-0 away in the play-off round and deserve credit for that.

On Saturday they recorded a 4-2 cup win at Vevey-Sports, but weren't in any way impressive against third-tier opponents and saw key midfielder Cheikh Niasse limp off as well.

They are a young team with plenty of injuries and in no great form.

Villa, who have already won on the road at West Ham and Leicester this season - both by 2-1 scorelines - can rise to the occasion and nick a tight affair.

Villa are 13/20 to win, but back them to win and Under 3.5 Goals at 15/8 instead.

Sandro Lauper to be booked - 3/1

Villa's power and class means Young Boys are likely to be on the back foot for long periods and they will have to put in their tackles.

That was certainly the case in the home leg against Galatasaray in the play-off round, a match the Swiss side won 3-2 with 18 fouls committed.

German referee Daniel Siebert finished up showing yellow cards to four Young Boys players, among them midfield anchorman Sandro Lauper.

Much will rest on the shoulders of Lauper, especially if regular partner Niasse is ruled out, so the former Swiss Under-21 international looks a fair price to get his name taken.

Lauper has been booked in two Super League games this season and picked up yellows in two of Young Boys' group-stage games in last term's UEFA Champions League.

Under 9.5 Corners - 5/6

There have been an average of 11.8 corners in Young Boys' league matches this season, while there is an average of just 6.5 in Villa's.

Something has to give and if Villa can dictate the tempo at the Stadion Wankdorf and keep the demoralised Swiss champs at bay, expect a low corner haul.

The new UEFA Champions League league phase is a drawn-out, eight-game affair, but even though there will be plenty of opportunities to make up for slow starts, neither Young Boys nor Villa will want to taste defeat first up.

There will be caution in the air in Bern reflected in the corner count which can clock in under 9.5.

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Young Boys v Aston Villa odds

Young Boys - 4/1
Draw - 31/10
Aston Villa - 13/20

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.

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