Wigan vs Aston Villa U21Prediction, probable lineups, recent form & season stats

The Brick Community Stadium opens the group stage with Wigan against Aston Villa Under 21. The hosts have spent recent weeks mostly on the road: 1-1 at Barnsley, 0-2 at Grimsby, 0-0 at Southport and 3-0 away at AFC Fylde, with their only home game a 3-1 defeat by Port Vale. Five scored, six conceded, two clean sheets. Aston Villa Under 21 swing between productive and flat performances: 2-1 at Tamworth, 3-2 down to Manchester City Under 21, 3-3 at Southampton Under 21, 1-0 at Stoke City Under 21 and a 2-0 home defeat by Middlesbrough Under 21. Eight goals scored in five games and nine conceded, with a single shut-out, the win at Stoke. The two clubs have never met in a competitive fixture, so the group opens with no direct reference point at all. The prediction may change in the hours before kick-off. Confirmed line-ups, late injuries, suspensions, rotation ahead of other fixtures and the state of the pitch and the weather can all alter the picture described above. In those cases the selection may be reviewed and updated within 12 to 24 hours of the match: this happens rarely, but when it does, the version published on this page is always the current one. The data and assessments here are provided for information and statistical purposes.