Preston North End vs Aston Villa Prediction, Preview, Predicted Lineups and Team News | FA Cup

Preston North End vs Aston Villa Preview

• Competition: FA Cup
• Date: Sunday, 30 March
• Kick-Off Time: 12:30 PM GMT
• Venue: Deepdale

The Preston North End vs Aston Villa match will take place on Sunday, 30 March at Deepdale. Both teams will lock horns against each other in the Quarter-Finals match of the prestigious FA Cup.

Not many people expected a mid-table Championship Club to reach this stage of the competition, but Preston has done a brilliant job of getting into the top eight of the competition.

They will play at home, and with the home advantage they will look to create an upset as they will face a Premier League side. They will face a side who have reached the Quarter Finals of this season's Champions League and will look to make things difficult for them. In the last five matches, they have won two games, drawn two games, and lost once. In the Championship, they have played 38 games in which they have won 20 games, 17 matches ended in draws and they suffered 11 defeats. Overall, they do have players who can make an impact on the pitch, and they will look to get a result similar to Plymouth Argyle, as Plymouth defeated Liverpool earlier this season. With that belief, they can surely make things complicated for Villa on Sunday.

Villa have improved leaps and bounds after Emery joined them as he played a key role in Villa's success this season. Even though in the Premier League they have been poor and most probably will not be able to get a European spot. They can improve their season a bit more if they can win the FA Cup.

But on Sunday, they will travel to Preston to face the Championship side in the FA Cup quarter-finals. In the last five games, they have won every fixture, and after six years, they will face Preston away from home. In the Premier League, they are ninth in the table and will hope to continue their fine form, which they had before the international break. This will be a mouthwatering clash for sure.

Preston North End Team News

Brad Potts, Ali McCann, Jack Whatmough, Jordan Storey and Milutin Osmajic all are injured for the home side. The rest of the players are fit and will be available for the match.

Aston Villa Team News

Unai Emery doesn't have any injury concerns for the upcoming fixture, and all the players are available for selection.

Preston North End vs Aston Villa Predicted Lineups

Preston North End Predicted Lineup (5-3-2):

Goalkeeper: Woodman

Defenders: Hayden, Porteous, Lindsay, Gibson, Meghoma

Midfielders: Ledson, S.T. Boroarson, Frokjaer-Jensen

Forwards: Keane, Jakobsen

Aston Villa Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Dibu Martinez

Defenders: Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen

Midfielders: Kamara, Tielemans

Forwards: Rogers, McGinn, Rashford, Ollie Watkins

Preston North End vs Aston Villa Head-to-Head Record

Both teams have faced each other 116 times, in which Aston Villa won 57 games, 21 matches ended in draws and Preston North End won 38 games. In the last five fixtures, four matches ended in draws, and Villa won once.

Key Players to Watch in Preston North End vs Aston Villa

Emil Riis Jakobsen (Preston North End)

Jakobsen has played for the youth teams of the Denmark national team and has been an integral part of Preston North End for the last four seasons. He is tall and has a very good physique.

He is the target man upfront, and along with his strike partner, they are a key part of Preston's frontline. Even though for a striker, his stats may look poor, his quality on the pitch makes him stand out as a player.

Even though Preston's season is not going that well, the Danish striker is someone who can create a lot of problems for the away team in the upcoming fixture. Jakobsen is a player who likes to dominate his opponents in physical duels, as his hold-up play is one of the best in the league. In 37 matches in the Championship this season he has scored 10 goals and provided two assists.

Ian Maatsen (Aston Villa)

His abilities to build up play, create chances, and execute quick counter-attacks align perfectly with Emery's style, which emphasizes structured buildup and aggressive counter-pressing. His ability to make overlapping runs and deliver accurate crosses can lead to assists, which are valuable when facing a low-block team.

As a player, he is capable of playing as a fullback and also as a winger. Also sometimes he likes to join the midfield and acts as an inverted full back, which helps in outnumbering opponents' players in the midfield. Maatsen's role against Preston will be important as he will have to continuously deliver good quality crosses and, at the same time, will have to do his defensive duties very well.

Preston North End vs Aston Villa Prediction

Despite Preston being the home side, they are not the favourites to win this fixture, as Villa are a better side who have much better quality players as compared to Preston. Even though with their low block they can create some trouble for the away side, still, most probably, Villa will be going into the next round.

Predicted Score: Preston North End 0-3 Aston Villa

Where to Watch Preston North End vs Aston Villa