Aston Villa Add More Dates to 2026 Pre-season
Aston Villa have added two friendlies to their pre-season schedule, with the headline fixture a trip to Borussia Mönchengladbach on August 15, the second German side Villa have lined up this summer.
Unai Emery’s Europa League winners will kick off pre-season in more familiar fashion, travelling to Walsall on Tuesday, July 21 for the traditional Bescot opener, before the more exotic business begins. Villa head to Hong Kong on August 7 to face Bayern Munich in the inaugural Audi Football Summit, and then straight to Germany a week later on Saturday 15th to take on Borussia Mönchengladbach at Borussia-Park, where kick-off is 3.30pm local time.
Germany has form as a preseason destination for Villa. There was the 2012 trip to Werder Bremen, the triumphant lifting of what can only be described as a giant Temu trophy at the Cup of Traditions in 2017, and more recently a visit to Dortmund to take in the Yellow Wall two years ago. Mönchengladbach is a welcome addition to that list.
Tenuous Gladbach Links
Villa fans of a certain vintage will remember the club loaning United States midfielder Michael Bradley from Mönchengladbach back in 2011, under Gerard Houllier. Bradley managed one start and two substitute appearances before Villa declined the option to buy.
More recently, the transfer rumour mill has thrown up links that Villa are interested in goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas, Mönchengladbach’s number one in recent seasons. The 28-year-old was certainly one of the German team’s best performers last season and his stock is rising. He certainly has the right age profile, with Villa’s two keepers in their mid-30’s during next season (Martinez will turn 34 and Bizot 36).
Not urgent, but in terms of succession planning, certainly one to watch.
PSG Super Cup Sandwich
Sandwiched between the two German friendlies, Villa face UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, August 12 at Stadion Salzburg in Austria. Europa League winners versus Champions League winners – it is the kind of fixture that still requires a moment to process when you consider where Villa were not so long ago.
Villa’s Pre-Season Fixture List (So Far)
| Date | Fixture | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 21 Jul | Aston Villa vs Walsall | Friendly | Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium, 7.30pm |
| Fri 7 Aug | Aston Villa vs Bayern Munich | Audi Football Summit | Hong Kong |
| Wed 12 Aug | Aston Villa vs Paris Saint-Germain | UEFA Super Cup | Stadion Salzburg, Austria. 8pm UK time. |
| Sat 15 Aug | Borussia Mönchengladbach vs Aston Villa | Friendly | Borussia-Park, 3.30pm local |
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