As Aston Villa Eye European Glory, Is $AVL Set to Rally?

Aston Villa are bidding to win their first European final since 1982 when they face Freiburg in the Europa League final on Wednesday night (May 20).

At Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul, Unai Emery will be chasing his own history as he attempts to clinch a record fifth Europa League, having previously led Sevilla to three titles (2014-16) before winning it again with Villarreal (2021).

With Villa potentially about to lift their first major honour in 30 years, Fan Token™ enthusiasts are speculating on what a win could mean for the club’s digital asset, after what has been a rollercoaster season.

Can $AVL Respond to European Success?

With the final still 35 hours away at the time of writing, the Aston Villa Fan Token™ ($AVL) is priced at $0.133, having slid 12.97% over the last 24 hours per Socios.com. However, the prospect of actually winning a Europa League trophy could help $AVL bounce back quickly.

Between May 4 and May 17, a period that included wins over Nottingham Forest and Liverpool and a draw at Burnley, $AVL trended up, rising from $0.130 to $0.166 (+27.6%). Friday’s 4-2 win over last season’s champions Liverpool secured Champions League qualification for the Birmingham club.

With their UCL fate secured, the slide in value of recent days is perhaps understandable given many traders will have taken profits. The Europa League final was seen as a route to the UCL if Villa failed to finish in the top five of the Premier League.

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Given the way the markets have responded to Villa’s victories in preceding rounds, a sharp move upward is not out of the question if they can see off German side Freiburg.

How Markets Reacted to Aston Villa’s Journey to the Final

When Aston Villa crushed Nottingham Forest 4-0 in the second leg of the Europa League semifinal on May 7, the value of $AVL rose from $0.138 that morning to $0.145 by midnight (+5%). Trade volumes also climbed from $72,430 to $744,626 (+928%). 

It was a similar story on April 9, when John McGinn and co travelled to northern Italy to defeat Bologna 3-1 in the first leg of the quarterfinal. On that occasion, $AVL made another big intraday move, jumping from $0.131 to $0.145 (+10.6%). Volumes also surged from $59,393 to $320,811 (+440%).

Aston Villa have lit up this season’s Europa League. After finishing second in the 36-team group stage with seven wins and one defeat, their knockout tie wins over Lille, Bologna, and Nottingham Forest have seen them score 14 goals and concede just two.

Polymarket makes Aston Villa a 60% favourite to lift the Europa League, rating Freiburg’s chances at just 17% and a draw at 25%. Freiburg finished seventh in the Bundesliga and dispatched the likes of Sporting Braga, Celta Vigo, and Genk en route to the final.

Ronnie McCluskey: Fan Tokens™ Market Reporter