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Aston Villa are set to face Freiburg in the Europa League final on Wednesday, as they aim to clinch their first major trophy in three decades.

The Birmingham-based club are hoping to make history in Istanbul when they take on German outfit Freiburg in the showpiece clash of the Europa League.

Under the guidance of Unai Emery, Villa go into the final as favourites for the continent’s second-tier club competition. Their impressive 4-2 victory over Liverpool in the Premier League last Friday has already sealed their qualification for next season’s Champions League, ensuring they cannot finish lower than fifth in the league standings.

This means that regardless of the result on Wednesday, Villa are guaranteed a return to Europe’s top competition in the 2026/27 season. However, they will be eager to lift the trophy and end a 30-year drought without a major silverware.

Manager Unai Emery has a chance to claim his fifth Europa League title, having previously won the tournament three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal.

Although Villa famously won the European Cup in 1982, they have never triumphed in the Europa League. The outcome of this final could also influence the European qualification prospects of several other Premier League clubs.

Heading into the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday, Villa sit fourth in the table, three points ahead of Liverpool but with a lower goal difference. If Villa lose to Manchester City and Liverpool beat Brentford, Emery’s side would drop to fifth.

That situation would create a ripple effect further down the table. Should Villa finish fifth in the Premier League yet win the Europa League, their Champions League spot would be passed down to the sixth-placed team.

At the moment, that position is occupied by Bournemouth, who have never appeared in European competition. The Cherries can secure sixth place if they win their game in hand against Manchester City tonight.

In this scenario, the team finishing seventh—currently Brighton & Hove Albion, two points behind Bournemouth—would qualify for the Europa League, while the club finishing eighth—currently Brentford, another side yet to play in Europe—would enter the Conference League.

However, there are alternative outcomes depending on Villa’s league finish. If Villa win the Europa League while finishing fourth in the Premier League—or even lose the final—the European qualification structure changes. UEFA’s allocation of European spots prioritises league positions and European competition winners before considering the European Performance Spot (EPS), the additional Champions League berth awarded to the Premier League.

Therefore, if Villa win the Europa League and end the season in fourth place, or if they lose the final, only the top five Premier League teams would progress to the Champions League. The sixth and seventh-placed clubs would advance to the Europa League, while the team in eighth would qualify for the Conference League.

Several clubs remain in contention for the remaining European places in the final week of the campaign. Teams from ninth-placed Sunderland down to Fulham in 13th still have a mathematical chance to break into the top eight.

Chelsea, currently 10th, can climb to eighth if they defeat Tottenham Hotspur in their game in hand on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, Newcastle United and Everton, sitting in 11th and 12th respectively, both retain slim hopes of finishing eighth if they win their final fixtures and other results fall in their favour.