How Aston Villa reaching the Europa League final directly impacts Liverpool this May
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Liverpool were handed a potential boost on Thursday night as Aston Villa reached the Europa League final.Villa were always likely to go deep into the competition this season under specialist coach Unai Emery, who has now reached six finals with four different clubs.The upshot is that Emery’s team will face Liverpool on the weekend before their mid-week final in Istanbul. For the Reds, this not only offers them a better chance of three vital points at Villa Park, but also means that a change in date for the fixture has already been confirmed.
Liverpool keep Arne Slot, Xabi Alonso goes to Chelsea. Barroso/Europa Press/Getty Images Aston Villa vs Liverpool moved to Friday, May 15thLiverpool had originally been slated to play Aston Villa next Sunday, May 17th.
With both sides fighting for a Champions League spot, it could still be a crucial match.However, Villa’s qualification for the Europa League final takes the pressure off them to finish in the Premier League‘s top five, and also may just make Liverpool’s life a little easier.Instead of being played on the Sunday, the game will now take place on Friday, May 15th, as an 8pm kick-off.Photo by Marc Atkins – AVFC/Aston Villa FC via Getty ImagesREAD MORE: Why Liverpool really swapped Caoimhin Kelleher for Giorgi Mamardashvili as number one spot starts to open upVilla will then travel to Turkey to face Freiburg on the following Wednesday.With Emery surely set to prioritise having his team fresh for the chance to win a first ever Europa League title, Liverpool are likely to face an understrength team.The Reds could, of course, have already secured their own Champions League qualification by the time the game arrives, but heading to Villa Park could be made a little less daunting regardless. Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox