Freiburg's recent domestic form has been a concern heading into this final, but they did pull off a 4-1 win against RB Leipzig last time out. Because of that, they secured their spot in 7th in the Bundesliga, meaning they will have the chance to qualify for the Conference League next season at the very least. Prior to last weekend, however, Freiburg had won one of their previous six matches.

They squeezed past Braga in the semi-finals by winning 4-3 on aggregate, despite that match being heavily influenced by a red card. Freiburg lost 2-1 in the away leg, but then Mario Dorgeles was sent off after just six minutes for a last man foul in reverse. Even despite that, Freiburg only won by a one-goal margin.

Aston Villa have been much more convincing in Europe this season, so they will fancy their chances here.

The Europa League final has historically been a great fixture for producing cards, as tensions are heightened in this massive fixture. There were six cards shown in the Europa League final last season, which was played between Man United and Tottenham. That means the last three finals have all cleared this line with ease. Francois Letexier is the designated referee for this clash, and he has shown 75 yellows and six red cards in his 17 Ligue 1 appearances this season. He is incredibly experienced, and can be quite strict when it comes to handing out cards. 

Aston Villa rank top of the Premier League charts for total fouls drawn and cards forced this season, which shows how difficult they can be to contain. Meanwhile, Freiburg rank 2nd in the Bundesliga for total fouls drawn, which has translated to the 5th-most yellow cards for their opponents in the division.

Igor Matanovic is one of the most combative centre forwards in the Bundesliga, and he has accumulated more fouls for Freiburg than any other player this season - that is an impressive record given that he has been sidelined through injury for a significant part of the campaign. Matanovic is a physically imposing centre forward, and he is always looking to put himself about in duels. He registered two fouls against RB Leipzig last time out, taking his average to 2.76 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season. 

Matanovic should find duels against Ezri Konsa at the back, who has been excellent for Villa this season, and he excels at buying soft free kicks to allow his side to establish a foothold in possession. Konsa is averaging 1.77 fouls drawn per 90 in the Europa League this season, which shows how he can be a frustrating opponent to face.

Johan Manzambi was fouled twice against RB Leipzig on the final weekend of the Bundesliga, meaning he finished the season as the most fouled player in the league. Manzambi was a key player for his side, and he featured in an advanced midfield position towards the end of the campaign, during which he saw a bit more responsibility in the final third. Freiburg will rely heavily on Manzambi if they are to cause problems for Villa here, as he also scored an important goal in the second leg against Braga in the semi-final. 

Villa's backline will push high and be aggressive in their duels, which makes this a good matchup for Manzambi. He is averaging 3.26 fouls drawn per 90 in the Europa League this season, which is an eye-catching figure, and it shows how difficult he can be to contain on his night.

Ollie Watkins has hit a rich vein of form at exactly the right time for Villa, and his contributions in the final third have been central to Villa's success in recent weeks. He bagged a brace and also chipped in with an assist against Liverpool last time out, as Villa won 4-2 on home turf to secure their spot in the Champions League next season. He also played a massive role in the semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest, registering a goal and an assist in the 4-0 win that confirmed their place in this final. 

Watkins has 24 goal involvements from 53 appearances across all competitions this season, with 14 of those coming in his last 14 starts. He is the focal point in Unai Emery’s system, and Villa will be looking to pick him out at every available opportunity.

Emiliano Buendia was unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet against Liverpool last time out, as his only effort struck the woodwork, but the winger has been an underrated player for Unai Emery this season. He had to be replaced due to a knock last time out, but there is hope that he will have enough time to recover and start against Freiburg here.

Buendia delivered one of the standout individual performances of Villa's Europa League campaign in the semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest. His assist helped Watkins open the scoring, before Buendia doubled the scoreline himself. He was the one to step up and convert the penalty in that match, despite Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, Watkins and Morgan Rogers all being on the pitch, which shows the trust placed in Buendia. The Argentine had a total of five shots in that match, and two hit the target as he cleared this line.

Jan-Niklas Beste has picked up five yellow cards in the Bundesliga this season, which is more than any other Freiburg player, despite only averaging 0.89 fouls per 90 in the league. He isn’t exactly the most reckless when it comes to flying into challenges, but that figure rises to 1.4 when playing in the Europa League, and it looks set to rise even further after this final. Villa are drawing an average of 13.2 fouls per game across all competitions this season, and 2.23 cards. 

Beste does tend to drop back and help his full back with defensive duties, and a decent percentage of his fouls are worthy enough of a booking. He should have plenty of work to get through against Villa, which makes this price stand out, especially in a fixture of this magnitude.