In the world of European football, few names resonate as strongly as Xherdan Shaqiri, often referred to as the 'Swiss Messi'. As Basel prepares to face Aston Villa in the UEFA Europa League, all eyes are on this 34-year-old star who has returned to his roots after a successful international career.

Xherdan Shaqiri has rejoined Basel on a three-year contract following his departure from Chicago Fire. 32-year-old Shaqiri and the Chicago Fire confirmed they had mutually agreed to terminate the Switzerland international’s contract on Wednesday.

Aston Villa scrape past Basel and seal a narrow 2-1 win in the Europa League on Thursday, thanks to super-substitute Youri Tielemans' winner.

In an exciting clash on Swiss soil, former Liverpool midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri captained FC Basel as they faced off against Aston Villa. This match not only showcased the talents of both teams but also highlighted strategic changes implemented by both managers.

Basel coach Ludovic Magnin felt they had Aston Villa doubting themselves during Thursday's Europa League defeat.

Aston Villa defeated Basel 2-1 in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening. It took the in-form Premier League side just 12 minutes to take the lead, and it was Evann Guessand who opened the scoring with a well taken finish after a scrappy corner. Basel thought they had equalised in the first half through Leroy, but it was disallowed for offside.

Check out our soccer expert’s FC Basel vs Aston Villa predictions, prior to Thursday’s 3:00pm ET Europa League clash (12/11).