The Europa League Final is here and it brings a meeting of contrasts. Aston Villa arrive with a squad worth roughly twice as much as Freiburg. Yet the Sofascore Ratings suggest a closer contest than the market numbers do. Who will celebrate tonight?

Market value picture

The totals tell a clear story: Freiburg’s possible XI is valued at 119.5M €, while Aston Villa’s comes in at 289.4M €. Villa’s spine carries big numbers, with Ezri Konsa and Youri Tielemans both listed at 38M €, John McGinn at 32M €, and Ollie Watkins at 31M €. Pau Torres and Matty Cash add 28M € each. For Freiburg, goalkeeper Noah Atubolu leads the way at 19.1M €, with several teammates in the 9–11M € range. On paper, the Premier League side holds the financial muscle.

Sofascore Ratings snapshot

Ratings narrow the gap. Freiburg are led by Matthias Ginter at 7.36, the highest Sofascore Rating among the possible starters. Atubolu sits at 7.25, giving the Bundesliga club a strong number in goal. Villa counter with McGinn at 7.29, Tielemans at 7.21, and Emiliano Martínez at 7.15. Across the back line, Konsa’s 7.22 and Torres’s 6.95 stack up against Freiburg’s Ginter 7.36 and Philipp Lienhart 7.06, hinting at a tight defensive battle.

Where the matchups look even

In goal, Atubolu 7.25 vs Martínez 7.15 is almost a wash. At center-back, Ginter’s 7.36 stands out, but Konsa’s 7.22 keeps Villa close. Midfield tilts slightly toward Villa with McGinn 7.29 and Tielemans 7.21, while Freiburg rely on the steady Maximilian Eggestein at 7.18. Out wide, Vincenzo Grifo’s 7.14 and Ritsu Doan’s flank partners in the setup are matched by Villa options like Jacob Rogers at 7.04. Up front, Watkins at 6.86 and Freiburg’s I. Matanović at 6.71 suggest the goals may need service from elsewhere.

What to expect from the flow

The values say Villa have the deeper toolkit. The Ratings say the margins are small in most positions. Set pieces and a single clean contact in the box might shape the night. With both goalkeepers posting 7+ numbers, conversion rate could decide it more than chance volume. Track the live swings on Sofascore to see how those pregame numbers translate once the whistle goes.

Tonight’s question remains simple: will the investment win out, or will Freiburg’s balance and high-performing core bend the final their way?