The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Aston Villa arrive at their first European match of the season once again needing to use it to kickstart their campaign after a goalless start. It worked out rather well in 2025/26 but it’s earlier this year because they’re back in the Champions League.
The mood is different this time around but the need to get things moving is the same. Unai Emery has been presented with an immense challenge and somewhere, soon, Villa need to get to grips with it.
Their first Champions League match in this season’s league phase takes them to familiar territory and another meeting with Belgian side Club Brugge.
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Villa have played Club Brugge three times, all in the Champions League in 2024/25.
The group stage match in Bruges was a write-off from Villa’s point of view; a comical Tyrone Mings handball game Brugge a chance to win the game from the penalty spot and they did exactly that.
In the round of 16, Villa won 6-1 on aggregate thanks to comfortable victories in both legs. Of Villa’s goalscorers, only Ian Maatsen remains.
Last meeting:
🟢 Aston Villa 3-0 Club Brugge (Champions League, 12th March 2025)
Current form:
BRU – 🟢🟢🟢🔴🟢 (Pro League)
AVL – 🔴🔴🟠 (Premier League)
Brugge made a flying start in their domestic season, winning their first three league matches out of the gate without conceding a goal. The only goals they’ve given up came in a spicy 2-1 loss against Gent at the end of August.
João Gomes – Available in Europe while suspended in the Premier League.
Johan Manzambi – Progressing well, according to Emery, but not ready to feature in Belgium.
Leon Goretzka – Suffered a minor injury setback during his fitness work.
Brian Madjo – Working his way back from injury but ineligible in the Champions League.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis – Not selected in the Champions League squad.
Amadou Onana – Likely to miss the full Champions League campaign with injury.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Starting XI: Zion Suzuki; Matty Cash, Victor Lindelöf, Pau Torres, Matteo Ruggeri; Boubacar Kamara, João Gomes; Alysson, Emi Buendía, Alejandro Garnacho; Nicolas Jackson
Villa’s old Champions League pals went on to finish second in the Pro League after their elimination from Europe in 2024/25, ending the regular season nine points behind Genk and three points behind eventual champions Union Saint-Gilloise after the play-offs.
That secured a return to the qualifying rounds of European football’s premier club competition, where they saw off Red Bull Salzburg and Rangers – 9-1 on aggregate because Russell Martin is an atrocious manager – at the start of 2025/26.
Brugge sacked Nicky Hayen, the head coach who led them against Villa in the previous season and is now in charge at Burnley, but went as far as the play-off round before getting knocked out by Atlético Madrid over two legs.
They won the Belgian title for the 20th time last season by topping the play-offs table ahead of Union SG.
The boss who steered them to the title and straight into the league phase of the Champions League is former Croatian international midfielder Ivan Leko.
He left Gent to replace Hayen last December, returning to the club where he’d had previous spells both as a player and as a head coach. Leko has now won the Belgian title twice with Club Brugge and has also managed in Abu Dhabi, China and Croatia since hanging up his boots 12 years ago.
Club Brugge v Aston Villa is a 5.45pm kick-off on Tuesday 8th September.
📺 TNT Sports 1 / HBO Max
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