Aston Villa vs. Club Brugge: UCL Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

With a two-goal lead going into Wednesday's second leg of their last-16 game, Aston Villa will be looking to seal a spot in the Champions League quarterfinals by hosting Club Brugge in Birmingham.

After Brugge's collapse in Belgium, Villa is in a commanding position, and they need to win at Villa Park.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

An early goal from Leon Bailey gave Aston Villa a 1-0 lead last week, allowing them to shake off any lingering disappointment from their 1-0 league-phase defeat to Bruges earlier in the season.

The home club's Maxim De Cuyper quickly leveled the score; from then on, neither team could gain complete control. However, in the 82nd minute, Brandon Mechele made a clumsy own goal, and shortly after that, winger Christos Tzolis of Brugge gave Villa a penalty.

In keeping with his recent goal-scoring form, substitute Marco Asensio converted a penalty kick to put the away team up 3-1 before this week's return leg in the English capital.

Not only would Villa become the first English club to achieve so since Leicester City eight years ago, but they would also be the first team to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League in their maiden season since Atalanta BC in the 2019–20 campaign.

Throughout his time with four teams, including four at Villa, Unai Emery has won only three of his past nineteen home games in Europe's premier event. The Basque coach clearly understands how to capitalize on home-field advantage.

In a dramatic turnaround from a lengthy losing streak, Emery's squad has won its past three games in all competitions. This has advanced them to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup and put them in position to face either Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Ollie Watkins scored the game-winning goal in a tense 1-0 win against Brentford on Saturday night. This was Villa's second win in eight Premier League meetings, moving them back up the standings.

Now that they have a perfect home record of fifteen games, the Birmingham team will play their first home match against Belgian opponents since the European Cup in April 1982.  That time, they won the title after prevailing in a semi-final match against Anderlecht, an old rival of Brugge's.

Midfielder Raphael Onyedika of Club Brugge celebrates a goal against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on September 18, 2024.

After narrowly escaping the league stage and shocking Atalanta in the playoffs, Club Brugge, runners-up in the 1978 European Cup, is making its second appearance in the Champions League knockout stages.

Last week at Jan Breydelstadion, Nicky Hayen's team was left to regret several wasted opportunities and their late defensive collapse, so their season may stop.

Consequently, they face a formidable challenge: while Villa have advanced from 12 out of 14 prior European matches after a victorious first leg, Brugge have been eliminated six times after losing the home opener.

Plus, on their fourteen previous trips to England, the Blauw-Zwart lost each occasion. Only Anderlecht (18 games) and Dynamo Kyiv (15 games) have been to England more often without winning.

The odds will be heavily against them given their dismal scoring record of nine goals against and 41 goals against, including a goal in their 1978 championship defeat to Liverpool at Wembley.

Following their loss last Tuesday, Club Brugge's present roster momentarily refocused on the Belgian Pro League, where they are now in ninth place following a 3-1 victory against Cercle Brugge, their local rivals.  Hans Vanaken scored first, and Ferran Jutgla added two more as the Belgian champions won only their second away game in seven attempts.

Still, with another goal, Hayen's squad has gone 37 games without a setback. They have won eight of their last fourteen European matches, including a 3-1 triumph over Atalanta in Bergamo, and they will continue to hope to extend their Champions League run this season.

Aston Villa x Club Brugge Team News

Amadou Onana (thigh) and Ross Barkley (calf) are the only players on Unai Emery's injury list who have not returned to action in the last few weeks.  On Saturday, the team traveled to London without goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and forward Marco Asensio, who had scored five goals in four games before that.

Emery would want PSG loanee Gonzalo Asensio ready on Wednesday after his impactful performance in Bruges extended his Champions League goal-scoring streak to ten goals in fifty substitute appearances, a record no player has surpassed.

Tyrone Mings and fellow countryman Pau Torres will compete for playing time at left-back for Aston Villa; Axel Disasi, who Chelsea owns, may maintain his starting position right back after his excellent performance against Brentford.

Winter acquisitions Andres Garcia and Donyell Malen are no longer in the running after not being included in Emery's squad for the knockout round.

On the other hand, Bjorn Meijer is currently out with a hamstring injury, while Joaquin Seys has missed the last two games for Club Brugge.

Captain Hans Vanaken—who scored the game-winning goal against Villa in the league phase—would likely start in his 50th Champions League game. Only Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan (51) has featured in more games for a single club than the experienced midfielder, who started every game for Brugge during the 2016–17 season.

He will be paired with teenage winger Chemsdine Talbi, who has scored three goals in his past three European outings, and Spanish striker Ferran Jutgla, who scored twice last weekend and six goals in his last seven games.

Our Predictions

Full-time draw @ 4.30 on Sky247.ng

Although Aston Villa are far more formidable when playing at home, Club Brugge will want to exploit their hosts' questionable defense, as they have previously shown a brave streak.

Despite a few concerns, Villa, who had a significant lead after last week's first leg, should still prevail.

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