The video will start in 8 Cancel

Sign up NOW for our daily Villa newsletter direct to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Touts are cashing in on the play-off final with Wembley tickets selling for almost FIVE times the normal price.

Aston Villa meet Fulham at Wembley on Saturday evening in the so-called 'richest game in football'.

Villa's tickets have been selling at an incredible rate, despite season ticket holders only permitted to purchase one.

The claret and blues had already sold more than 20,000 within 48 hours of tickets going on sale on Wednesday, May 16 (5pm).

(Image: Twitter/@NeilDavis1080)

But some of those tickets appear to have fallen into the wrong hands with ticket websites such as ticketbis charging Villans in excess of £600 for some seats.

The most expensive ticket available to fans via Villa's ticketing service was the Category One £98 for an adult.

That same ticket is being sold for £474.95 on ticketbis.

During the brief period BirminghamLive spent analysing prices on ticketbis, tickets were selling rapidly as desperate fans parted with huge sums of cash.

The cheapest tickets on ticketbis are selling for £124.60 - but they're in the East End, which is where the Fulham fans are housed.

A huge concern for EFL chiefs is that Villa fans, keen to be at Wembley, will end up sitting in the Fulham end.

While Villa season ticket holders are only permitted to buy one ticket, Fulham allowed their regulars to purchase as many as five.

Bruce's selection dilemmas

Wembley week is upon us and Steve Bruce is putting the finishing touches to his plan to conquer Fulham under the arch.

Aston Villa will be backed by nearly 40,000 Villans at Wembley with thousands more expected to make the journey to London to roar Bruce’s troops to the Premier League.

Bruce is something of a play-off specialist having secured promotion twice before via this route.

The same can be said for his players, many of whom have multiple Wembley outings under their incredibly seasoned belts.

Fulham, meanwhile, are complete novices. They haven’t visited the national stadium in 43 years and only two members of their predicted starting XI have previous experience of playing at Wembley.

Team news

Villa’s only concern, as things stand, surrounds Egypt international Ahmed Elmohamady.

The right-back suffered a muscular injury late in the semi-final first leg win at Middlesbrough.

Manchester United loan man Axel Tuanzebe is once again expected to miss out with a foot problem, while back-up goalkeeper Jed Steer won’t be available until next term.

Bruce’s dilemmas

The Villa boss produced a tactical masterclass to overcome Middlesbrough in the semi-finals.

Glenn Whelan had excelled as Villa’s holding midfielder in the final few weeks of the season, but Bruce decided to draft Mile Jedinak into his XI to combat Boro’s physicality.

Within 15 minutes of the first leg Jedinak nodded home the header which proved to be decisive.

However, Fulham are polar opposites of Boro. Slavisa Jokanovic’s side have delivered the fewest crosses in the Championship this term and attempted the least long passes.

Fulham like to keep the ball on the deck and make their opponents run, something which isn’t Jedinak’s strongest suit.

The liveliest of Villa’s three defensive-minded midfield players is Birkir Bjarnason but the Icelandic has rarely been trusted to anchor the team in its biggest matches.

Jedinak or Whelan usually get the nod for the big occasion and you’d expect that to be the case again.

Another dilemma Bruce is facing centres around injury doubt Elmohamady. James Bree stepped in for the second leg against Boro and performed admirably.

But history tells us Bruce will restore Elmohamady to his starting XI if the 30-year-old proves his fitness.

Our predicted XI

Key battles

Elmohamady vs Sessegnon

The fact that people were touting Sessegnon to be a surprise inclusion in England’s World Cup squad tells you all you need to know about the now 18-year-old’s extraordinary season.

Sessegnon, a left-back by trade, has scored 16 goals this season playing in a more advanced position and is rated at £50million.

Alan Hutton performed a man-to-man job on Adama Traore in the semi-final but Villa aren’t expected to put such emphasis on stopping Sessegnon.

If fit, Elmohamady will be trusted to stop the marauding winger with a little help from Robert Snodgrass.

Grealish vs Cairney

Jack Grealish and Tom Cairney are the two creative outlets. The two are unlikely to directly come up against each other in midfield but the playmaker who has the bigger impact will probably be celebrating at the end.

Grealish has been sensational for Villa this season and holds the keys to their Premier League dream.

Cairney isn’t as dynamic as Grealish but he’s very much Fulham's pass master having completed more passes than any other player in the Championship this term.

Chester vs Mitrovic

Containing Fulham’s awkward striker Mitrovic is pivotal for Villa.

Mitrovic has fired 12 goals in 17 matches since arriving at Craven Cottage from Newcastle United in January.

Chester has enjoyed a wonderful season and collected the supporters’ player of the year award for his efforts. Keeping Mitrovic quiet at Wembley will be his biggest test – but he’s never let Villa down before.

Grabban vs Odoi

Makeshift central defender Denis Odoi is undoubtedly the weakness in Fulham’s armoury.

Villa will feel as though they can take advantage of Odoi’s tendency to take chances at the back and Grabban’s movement and spatial awareness – which is normally so clever – will be central to those plans.