The eyes of European football tonight are directed to Istanbul, where SC Freiburg and Aston Villa will meet in the big final of the Europa League.

The duel takes place at the “Beşiktaş Park” stadium, with both teams aiming to write history, writes Gazeta Express.

For Freiburg this is the first European final in the club’s history, while Aston Villa returns to a continental final after decades, aiming for the trophy of first big since 1996.

The English team led by Unai Emery is considered favorite by many analysts, especially because of the experience of the Spanish coach in this competition. Emery aims to win this competition for the fifth time, confirming his reputation as a tournament specialist.

On the other hand, Freiburg has been the biggest surprise of this edition. The German club eliminated important names en route to the final and are now aiming for the biggest trophy in their history. Coach Julian Schuster has built a compact and tactically disciplined squad.

Aston Villa reached the final after eliminating Nottingham Forest 4-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals, while Freiburg edged past SC Braga after a dramatic 4-3 aggregate encounter.

The final is expected to kick off at 21:00 European time and the winner will secure not only the Europa League trophy but also a place in the UEFA Champions League for next season.

Source: prizrenpost