The Belgians are dangerous at home, but Villa can respond: Club Brugge vs Aston Villa prediction
The opening-round Champions League match between Club Brugge and Aston Villa will take place on 8 September at the Jan Breydel Stadium. The Belgians head into their European opener after a strong start to the domestic season, while Unai Emery's side have looked inconsistent so far and have collected just one point from three Premier League matches.
Club Brugge: strong home advantage and plenty of European experience
Club Brugge are beginning their eighth Champions League campaign in the last nine seasons. They reached the first knockout round in the previous edition and traditionally play aggressively at home: the Belgians have scored at least three goals in six of their last seven Champions League matches at the Jan Breydel Stadium.
Ivan Leko's side have also made a confident start to the current campaign and sit second in the Belgian league after five rounds, with four victories. Nicolò Tresoldi deserves a special mention, having already scored three league goals.
Aston Villa: major changes and a poor start
Aston Villa's squad underwent major changes after winning the Europa League, and the team are clearly still adapting to their new structure. In the Premier League, the Birmingham side lost 4-0 to Brighton and were also beaten by Arsenal before drawing 0-0 with Hull City.
However, Unai Emery's experience in European competition remains an important factor. Two years ago, Villa also played in Bruges, where they first lost 1-0 before winning 3-1 in the knockout stage, then thrashed the Belgians 3-0 at home.
Probable line-ups
- Club Brugge: Sommer, Sabbe, Mechele, Lee, Seys, Potts, Vanaken, Forbes, Vetlesen, Diakhon, Tresoldi.
- Aston Villa: Suzuki, Cash, Lindelöf, Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, Gomes, McGinn, Buendía, Hemmings, Jackson.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Club Brugge have lost only three of their last 22 home matches in European competition.
- The Belgians have scored three or more goals in six of their last seven home Champions League matches.
- The teams have exchanged victories in their last two meetings in Bruges — 1-0 and 1-3.
Both teams could take a point: Club Brugge vs Aston Villa prediction
Club Brugge are extremely confident at home and can take advantage of the fact that this new-look Villa side are still far from their best in terms of cohesion. However, Emery's experience and the visitors' individual quality make it difficult to consider the hosts clear favourites.
The Birmingham side traditionally raise their level in Europe, while the Belgians, despite their attacking strength, regularly leave space for their opponents. In these circumstances, an evenly balanced match with both teams scoring looks the most logical outcome.
