This season, the Champions League and Europa League return a month earlier than usual. This fact is especially inconvenient for those clubs that finish their football season in October-November and start a new one in March-April. Monaco and Aston Villa are not particularly deeply affected by these problems, but the hosts have failed to prepare for the resumption of the European Cup season. Since the end of November last year, the Monegasques started losing and cannot recover until now. In the Champions League, the club is in sixteenth place, so they can count on getting into the knockout rounds. In practice, only two defeats in the last rounds can lead Monaco to the departure at the general stage. Aston Villa at a high level spent the first part of the European Cup season. In six rounds Emery's wards won four times and once played a draw and lost. Now "Villans" are in fifth place in a very honorable company with Bayer, Inter and Arsenal, but just one misfire can turn out to be the departure of the team from the top 8 and, as a consequence, the need to play knockout matches before the start of the full playoffs. Bookmakers have identified the home team as favourites for the upcoming game, offering odds of 2.37 on their victory.

The situation in Monaco is really difficult now. On Friday, the Monegasques played with the worst team in Ligue 1, won the first half, but eventually lost to Montpellier with the score 1:2. Team player Embolo called it "sadness and sadness" and also admitted that the team lacked confidence in their abilities. In the last eleven official matches Monaco won only twice, including against a regional league rival.

Aston Villa do not shine in the championship of England, sitting on the edge of the European Cup zone. However, the class of the Birmingham club is clearly visible. At "Louis II" players of the English team will go out in a good mood. On Saturday, the Villans managed to get back in a meeting with the second team of the Premier League. Aston Villa in London lost to Arsenal with a score of 0:2 and reduced the match to a draw. The guests in Monaco will play second best and will achieve at least a draw.