On Saturday, Nashville SC will host Aston Villa in a friendly match at Geodis Park.
The Birmingham club are among the oldest and most successful clubs in England, founded in 1874 and winning the English top flight seven times in their history. Villa finished in sixth place in the Premier League last season, as well as advancing to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, knocked out 5-4 on aggregate by eventual champions Paris Saint Germain.
Nashville have never played a match against a Premier League team. Villa have been one of the better clubs over the past several seasons. It will be a massive test, on that fits Nashville's stated vision of testing themselves against the best teams.
Fans should note that the match, originally scheduled for 7 pm, has been moved up to 4 pm.
Coming up this weekend: Nashville SC vs Aston Villa.
— SixOneFive Soccer (@615Soccer) July 28, 2025
The first time Nashville have ever played a Premier League club. pic.twitter.com/9GMFZA73jL
Match info
Teams: Nashville SC vs Aston Villa FC
Date: Saturday, August 2, 2025
Time: 4:00 pm CT, Geodis Park, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
TV: Aston Villa TV (match pass required at $8.20)
Forecast: 83º/66º. 83º at kickoff. Partly cloudy. 5-10 mph winds. 0% chance of rain. 64% humidity.
Connections
• Nashville SC striker Sam Surridge has one appearance against Villa, coming off the bench for Nottingham Forest for the final 19 minutes in a 1-1 draw during the 2022-23 Premier League season.
Aston Villa FC
The numbers
Key players: Emiliano Martínez (goalkeeper 🇦🇷), Pau Torres (center back 🇪🇸), Youri Tielemans (midfielder 🇧🇪), Boubacar Kamara (midfielder 🇫🇷), John McGinn (midfielder 🏴), Emiliano Buendía (midfielder 🇦🇷), Leon Bailey (winger 🇯🇲), Donyell Malen (forward 🇳🇱), Ollie Watkins (forward 🏴)
Last match: 2-1 win at St. Louis City SC
Aston Villa FC snapshot
Founded in 1874, Aston Villa are one of the oldest clubs in England. They're the only Premier League club from Birmingham, the second-largest city in the country. After a strong period in the 1970s-90s, Villa were one of the founding members of the Premier League in 1992, and spent 24 years in the top flight before being relegated to the Championship in 2016.
Villa were promoted back to the Premier League at the end of the 2018-19 season, and after several seasons of mid-table finishes, they have found incredible success with the appointment of head coach Unai Emery. The former PSG and Arsenal manager led the Villains to a seventh-place finish and a UEFA Conference League spot in his first year, finishing fourth in 2023-24 and sixth in 2024-25. Emery has turned the club into one of the best in the Premier League, and an outside contender to win the title.
Under Emery, Villa have used a 4-5-1 mid-block that has become widely used around the world. Similarly to Nashville, the No. 10 will push forward out of possession to form a 4-4-2, joining the No. 9 in the press.
With the ball, the left back – usually Lucas Digne – pushes forward, while the left winger will pinch inside to act more as a secondary No. 10. On the right side, the winger will hug the touchline to provide width, with right back Matty Cash staying home to form a de-facto back three. When Cash does forward, midfielder Boubacar Kamara drops into the back three in possession.
Villa are extremely patient in build up. They slow the ball down, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez (a World Cup winner with Argentina) and the rest of the defense putting their foot on the ball and waiting for the opponent to press. Once the press is triggered, they take off, using pre-determined rotations to play through the press and go to goal quickly.
This is the final match of Villa's United States tour, after drawing Eintracht Frankfurt 2-2 in Louisville and beating St. Louis City SC 2-1. After the Nashville match, they have just two weeks until their 2025-26 Premier League campaign begins. With limited opportunities left to prepare for a long campaign, tomorrow's match is an important building block.
*SixOneFive Soccer subscriber Tyler Damme contributed to this section
Predicted XI
Nashville SC
The numbers
Key players: Joe Willis (goalkeeper 🇺🇸), Walker Zimmerman (center back 🇺🇸), Dan Lovitz (left back 🇺🇸), Andy Nájar (right back 🇭🇳), Eddi Tagseth (midfielder 🇳🇴), Patrick Yazbek (midfielder 🇦🇺), Hany Mukhtar (midfielder 🇩🇪), Sam Surridge (striker 🏴)
Last match: 1-0 loss at San Diego FC
Nashville SC snapshot
With the opening week of Leagues Cup in full swing, the MLS clubs who didn't qualify (i.e., missed the playoffs last year) won't play league games this week. Nashville are opting to test themselves against one of the best clubs in Europe.
Nashville are in prime position to make a run down the stretch. They're firmly in the mix for the Supporters' Shield and are into the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, and their form this season has them widely regarded as one of the favorites for MLS Cup.
It begs the question; how heavily will they prioritize the friendly? On one hand, they'll want to keep players in a regular rhythm and schedule, and getting game minutes on an off-week can be valuable. They'll also want to test themselves against an elite side, particularly working on how to press against a team so comfortable with the ball.
On the other hand, injuries can still happen in friendlies. As good as Nashville are right now, an injury to Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, or Andy Nájar could significantly lower their ceiling down the stretch. On Friday, head coach BJ Callaghan said they'll take a balanced approach to the friendly, expecting to substitute liberally and use every player on the team. So while the first choice group will see the field, it won't be a typical 90-minute outing for them.
With Villa able to play through a press, Nashville will have to stay ultra organized defensively at the risk of having their midfield and forward lines bypassed. Villa love to get into space and run at a backline, and it will be tough for Nashville to limit that space. In possession, Villa stay compact, and they'll present a very different challenge to break down.
Predicted XI
Staff predictions
Ben Wright
Score: NSH 2–2 AVL
Scorers: Hany Mukhtar, Jacob Shaffelburg
MOTM: Hany Mukhtar
Bold prediction: Both sides rotate heavily in the second half, and it ends up being a fairly open game.
Valair Shabilla
Score: NSH 2–4 AVL
Scorers: Jacob Shaffelburg, Josh Bauer
MOTM: Jacob Shaffelburg
Bold prediction: Dean Smith drives from Charlotte to stop the match, like a wedding. He objects the match right before the first whistle.
Chris Ivey
Score: NSH 1–3 AVL
Scorers: Ahmed Qasem
MOTM: Ahmed Qasem
Bold prediction: Ollie Watkins wears Super Sam Surridge pajamas to bed.
Jeff Remlinger
Score: NSH 2–3 AVL
Scorers: Sam Surridge, Jonny Pérez
MOTM: Matt Corcoran
Bold prediction: Someone makes their Nashville SC debut.
Fan forecast
Nashville SC take on Aston Villa tomorrow, the first time they've ever faced a Premier League team. Who will win?
— SixOneFive Soccer (@615Soccer) August 1, 2025
Vote in our #FanForecast and reply with a #BoldPrediction.
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