Unai Emery chases his fifth Europa League title as Aston Villa face Freiburg

It's Europa League final day in Istanbul as Mr. Europa League himself, Unai Emery, leads Aston Villa to face German side Freiburg, who chase the first major trophy in club history. It's quite a clash as the Premier League side has already qualified for Champions League play next season by securing a top-five place in the Premier League, but this is also a chance for Emery's men to close out an impressive season on a high note.

How to watch Freiburg vs. Aston Villa odds

• Date: Wednesday, May 20 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
• Location: Tupras Stadium -- Istanbul, Turkiye
• TV: CBS Sports Network
• Strean: Paramount+
• Odds: Freiburg +425; Draw +275; Aston Villa -150

No manager has won the Europa League more times than Emery's four wins in the competition final, and it's something that Villa will feel well set up for, despite Freiburg's 16 goals that they scored in the knockout stages of the Europa League. Both teams qualified directly for the round of 16 via the League Phase, with Freiburg going through Genk, Celta Vigo, and Braga, while Villa had to see off Lille, Bologna, and Nottingham Forest to get here.

While Villa are a successful club historically, they haven't won a major honor (depending on how you define them) since the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2001, and if you look past that, then it's the 1995-96 season when they won the League Cup. Simply, these are two teams who want to win this competition, and it would come as a crowning achievement for their seasons.

Freiburg have finished seventh in the Bundesliga, which is good for a Conference League spot, but winning this match would promote them into the Champions League for the first time in their history. With the financial backing that would give the club, the stakes are high in this match. Three of the top five scorers in the Europa League will take part in this final, with Vincenzo Grifo leading the German side with five goals, while Ollie Watkins and John McGinn have five apiece to lead Villa.

The odds are certainly stacked in Villa's favor, but that doesn't mean that Freiburg are a team that will roll over either, which will make for an exciting final. Villa's defense has been strong, but Julian Schuster's attack hasn't met a defense that they can't break down yet in the competition. If that continues, they'll have a good chance at lifting the first trophy in club history.

Prediction

We're set for peal drama in Turkiye as Morgan Rodgers opens the scoring for VIlla early in the match before Igor Manatovic brings the German side level. It won't be enough as Villa finds a late Ollie Watkins winner for Emery to lift his fifth Europa League title in dramatic fashion. Score: Freiburg 1, Aston Villa 2