Aston Villa face Ajax Amsterdam in the UEFA Europa Conference League’s last-16 stage first-leg tie on Thursday night. The battle between the two former European champions (Ajax four times and Villa once) is arguably the standout tie in Europe’s third-best competition.Villa are flying high in the Premier League and are on the verge of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Unai Emery’s side has surpassed all expectations, led by sensational striker Ollie Watkins, who has 26 direct contributions under his belt in the Premier League already this season.Not good, but crazy ebening! Emery’s Villa rollercoaster at Kenilworth Road ends in a last-gasp triumph##NAJAVA_MECA_7930503##After progressing through the group stage routinely, the Villans could have done it with a much easier knockout stage tie.On the other hand, the Dutch giants have recovered after finding themselves at the bottom end of the Eredivisie and dropped out of the UEFA Europa League. At the moment, they are fifth in the domestic league, 27 points behind leaders PSV.Henderson: ‘Difficult year’ for him and new club AjaxFormer Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson returned to midfield after not featuring since February 18. The Amsterdam fans have high hopes due to his vast experience, which could make the difference tonight, along with Brian Brobbey’s attacking skills.UEFA CONFERENCE LEAGUE1/8 finals – first legThursday20:45: (4.90) Ajax (3.90) Aston Villa (1.70)20:45: (2.75) Molde (3.35) Club Brugge (2.55)20:45: (3.30) Sturm (3.30) Lille (2.25)20:45: (1.85) Olympiakos (3.50) Maccabi T.A. (4.40)23:00: (2.35) Servette (3.35) Plzen (3.05)23:00: (2.40) St.Gilloise (3.40) Fenerbahce (2.95)23:00: (2.30) Dinamo Zagreb (3.30) PAOK (3.20)23:00: (5.30) Maccabi Haifa (3.60) Fiorentina (1.70)***odds are subject to change***
