Aston Villa Confirm FC Porto Friendly
A short-notice trip to the Estádio do Dragão on 25 July slots between two dates at Walsall’s Bescot Stadium.
Aston Villa have added a friendly away at FC Porto to their pre-season schedule, confirmed by the club at short notice.
The game will be played at the Estádio do Dragão on Saturday 25 July, kicking off at 7pm. It lands, neatly if a little oddly, between two dates at Walsall’s Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium: Villa open their pre-season against Walsall on Tuesday 21 July (7.30pm) and host Real Sociedad on Tuesday 28 July (7.30pm). A trip to Portugal, in other words, sandwiched between two runs out at the Bescot.
Logistical quirk aside, it is a proper test. Porto are one of European football’s serial contenders, and the Dragão is a serious away day, exactly the sort of workout a side preparing for a Champions League campaign wants.
Villa’s Absentees
Villa’s World Cup players, though, are not expected to feature. Those who were at the tournament will still be on their post-tournament break, so the early friendlies, Porto included, fall to squad players, returning fringe men and any new signings rather than the internationals.
There is a bit of history in it, too. Porto and Villa might have met in last season’s Europa League. Porto were the potential semi-final opponent until Nottingham Forest beat them 2-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals. Villa then saw off Forest 4-1 over two legs in the semi and went on to win the trophy in Istanbul. The tie that never was becomes a friendly instead.
It is one more heavyweight name on a demanding summer that already takes in an Asian tour, Bayern Munich in Hong Kong and PSG in the UEFA Super Cup. Unai Emery is not easing his squad into the new season.
Villa’s Pre-season Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Kick-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 21 Jul | Walsall | Bescot Stadium, Walsall | 7.30pm |
| Sat 25 Jul | FC Porto | Estádio do Dragão | 7pm |
| Tue 28 Jul | Real Sociedad | Bescot Stadium, Walsall | 7.30pm |
| Sat 1 Aug | Indonesia All Stars | Jakarta | 7pm |
| Tue 4 Aug | BG Pathum United | Thailand | 7.30pm |
| Fri 7 Aug | Bayern Munich | Hong Kong | TBC |
| Wed 12 Aug | PSG | Salzburg (UEFA Super Cup) | 8pm |
| Sat 15 Aug | Borussia Mönchengladbach | Germany | 3.30pm local |
The UEFA Super Cup against PSG is a competitive fixture; the Premier League season opens away at Brighton on Sunday 23 August.
Get MOMS in your inbox every Friday, free. Sharp, funny, informative Villa writing for supporters who can spot the clickbait from the back of the Holte. No spam. Join the astonvilla.wtf newsletter →
Follow MOMS on Twitter/X & Facebook & Threads & Bluesky