Aston Villa host Young Boys in the Europa League on Thursday with a level of confidence that has steadily risen over the past month.
Villa have won nine of their past eleven matches in all competitions and have found solutions in tight games that previously slipped away from them.
Their 2-1 win at Leeds United last weekend strengthened that belief as Morgan Rogers stepped up with a second-half brace to overturn an early deficit.
Coming from behind at Elland Road added another layer of conviction to a team that looked short of confidence in the opening weeks of the season.
Villa failed to win any of their first six matches of the campaign but have since resembled a far more coherent and assertive unit.
That improvement is reflected in the Europa League, where Villa sit sixth in the standings after winning three of their first four fixtures.
A 2-0 victory over Maccabi Tel-Aviv three weeks ago extended their strong home form in Europe and ensured they remain within touching distance of automatic qualification for the last-16.
Villa have won 14 of their last 16 matches at Villa Park, and no team has recorded more home victories in European competition over the past two seasons.
Those numbers reinforce why they will approach this match with expectation rather than caution.
They also have recent experience against Young Boys, having beaten them 3-0 in the Champions League last season. That result further strengthens the sense that Villa know what is required.
Young Boys remain competitive in the league phase but have shown vulnerability at the back, conceding ten goals across their four European fixtures.
Their domestic form has improved after heavy early defeats, yet their record against English opposition remains a concern as they have never won away in six attempts.
Villa will expect to dictate the tempo at home, extend their strong European run, and move closer to sealing automatic qualification.
