Southampton vs Aston Villa predictions, odds and betting tips

Aston Villa’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League hang in the balance following a 3-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek. Unai Emery’s side are simultaneously fighting to qualify for next season’s edition of Europe’s top tournament.

Emery could not have handpicked a better opponent for the Premier League game in between the two PSG matches. But can Southampton pull off a major shock?

Southampton vs Aston Villa best bets

• Aston Villa/Aston Villa half-time/full-time – Evens with NetBet
• Aston Villa to win and over 1.5 goals – 5/6 with SBK
• Ollie Watkins to score any time – 11/10 with bet365

Southampton vs Aston Villa odds

Find the latest match odds for Southampton vs Aston Villa. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.

Southampton vs Aston Villa predictions

If only they could have held out for a few more minutes.

Aston Villa found themselves 2-1 down to Paris Saint-Germain as their Champions League quarter-final first leg entered second-half stoppage time on Wednesday.

PSG had been the better team on the night, but a one-goal deficit would have left the tie in the balance. However, Nuno Mendes struck late on to give the Parisians a 3-1 aggregate advantage to take to Birmingham.

Villa are not out of it yet. They have made Villa Park a fortress under Unai Emery, who remains a master at knockout competition. Still, PSG are now clear favourites to advance.

With the return fixture set for Tuesday, it is hard to envisage Villa being fully focused on Southampton this weekend. Yet they are still fighting to qualify for next season’s edition of the Champions League and any dropped points at St Mary’s would be a huge blow.

Thankfully, Villa are facing the worst team in the division (although Leicester City under Ruud van Nistelrooy are running them close). Southampton became the earliest team to be relegated in Premier League history when a 3-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend made survival mathematically impossible.

Ivan Juric left the club in the aftermath of that match, so Simon Rusk will lead the team on Saturday. He will be assisted by Adam Lallana, who has barely featured in the last few months.

Southampton still have something to fight for. One more win would see them overtake Derby County’s record-low points tally of 11 in the Premier League era. 

As for Villa, there is still plenty of work to do as they attempt to secure the top-five finish that would keep them at Europe’s top table in 2025/26.

Emery’s charges sit seventh in the standings at present, but they are only two points adrift of their target. Upcoming matches against Newcastle United and Manchester City could be decisive. 

“The Premier League is the most important for us, always, the first day I was sending the same message, and until the last day in the Premier League, the message is the same,” Emery said a few weeks back. 

Despite that, the Villa boss will surely shuffle his pack ahead of the PSG game.

Southampton vs Aston Villa betting tips

Aston Villa are aiming to take a step closer to a top-five finish when they face Southampton. 

Aston Villa/Aston Villa half-time/full-time

Aston Villa had a few issues with their away form earlier in the campaign, but they have been much more reliable at opposition grounds of late.

Prior to the 3-1 loss to PSG, who are arguably the best team in Europe right now, Villa had won four away games on the spin.

Southampton are not cut out for this level and they will struggle to halt a team of Villa’s quality.

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Emery will be determined to get the three points in the bag as quickly as possible, so we should expect the Villans to make a fast start.

Southampton are likely to find themselves behind at half-time for the 19th time in 2024/25. And if Villa are indeed ahead at the interval, it is hard to see them giving up their lead.

Select Aston Villa to be ahead at half-time and full-time at evens with NetBet

Aston Villa to win and over 1.5 goals

With that huge PSG game coming up, Aston Villa will not want to overexert themselves at St Mary’s.

The ideal scenario for Emery would be for his team to go 2-0 up within the first half an hour, allowing them to ease off and manage the match thereafter.

As such, this will not necessarily be a high-scoring game. Villa are capable of blitzing Southampton if they are in the mood, but it would be preferable for them to hold something back for Tuesday.

There is also the possibility that the Saints feel strangely relieved that their futile fight against relegation is over and they are consequently more resilient than before.

It is tempting to tip three or four goals, but this could be a lower-scoring game than you imagine.

Back Aston Villa to win and over 1.5 goals at 5/6 with SBK

Ollie Watkins to score any time

Ollie Watkins was left out of Aston Villa’s starting XI against PSG in what was a surprise selection decision from Emery, who opted for Marcus Rashford up top instead.

There is a good chance Watkins will get the nod in the return leg and he should be prominently involved against Southampton too.

Watkins remains Villa’s best centre-forward. He scored 19 goals in the Premier League last term and is currently on 13 for the current campaign.

The England international will want to at least equal last season’s return. He can take a step closer to realising that objective on Saturday.

Tip Ollie Watkins to score any time at 11/10 with bet365

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