Club Brugge vs Aston Villa Preview and Prediction: A close contest until the very last minute.
The Champions League match between Club Brugge and Aston Villa will take place at 00:45 on March 5th. Nghe An Newspaper analyzes the teams' form, provides football commentary, and predicts the score.
Latest team news for Club Brugge vs Aston Villa
Club Brugge's biggest concern lies in midfield, as key midfielder Raphael Onyedika recently suffered a muscle injury and missed Saturday's draw against Gent. Additionally, Dutch defender Bjorn Meijer, who has been sidelined since the end of January, will also be absent for the first leg.
Captain Hans Vanaken is almost certain to feature in the starting lineup in midfield, having played every minute in the Champions League this season. His recent penalty goal against Aston Villa also marked his 20th goal in European competition.
Up front, Chemsdine Talbi – a player attracting interest from several clubs in the transfer market after being involved in three goals in the last two European matches – is likely to support Ferran Jutgla in attack.
On the Aston Villa side, Marco Asensio is ready to make his Champions League debut for the club. Along with new signing Marcus Rashford, he played a major role in helping Villa secure a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals last Friday. Notably, the striker on loan from PSG has been in impressive form, scoring four goals in his last three games.
Another noteworthy point is the return of Youri Tielemans to his homeland. It has been over a decade since he first appeared in the Champions League for Anderlecht at the age of 16, and now the central midfielder will have the opportunity to reunite with Belgian fans in a Villa shirt.
In goal, Emiliano Martinez has just recovered from a minor injury. He has faced 39 shots on target in European competitions this season but has only conceded six, achieving an impressive save rate of 85%.
Although Boubacar Kamara was named on the bench for the match against Cardiff, Tyrone Mings and Matty Cash are still unavailable. Their recovery time remains uncertain, while Pau Torres (ankle injury), Amadou Onana (thigh), and Ross Barkley (calf) are definitely out. Additionally, Andres Garcia and Donyell Malen are ineligible to play in this match.
Latest predicted lineups for Club Brugge vs Aston Villa
Club Brugge:
Mignolet; Seys, Ordonez, Mechele, De Cuyper; Jashari, Vetlesen; Talbi, Vanaken, Tzolis; Jutgla
Aston Villa:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Bogarde, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; McGinn, Asensio, Rogers; Watkins
Latest football match prediction: Club Brugge vs Aston Villa
Club Brugge, the runners-up in the 1978 European Cup, rarely reach the knockout stages of the Champions League, and this is only their second time doing so in history. Their journey to the Round of 16 is an inspiring story, following their impressive performances in the group stage and their continued success in the play-offs.
Having secured a home victory thanks to a controversial penalty in the final minutes, the reigning Belgian champions then dominated Atalanta BC in the first half of the second leg, inflicting a heavy defeat on the Serie A title contenders. In that match, young talent Chemsdine Talbi shone brightly with a brace.
Leaving Bergamo with a 5-2 aggregate score against the team that won the Europa League last season, Brugge continues its surprising journey after a less-than-impressive start in the Champions League group stage.
Having been defeated by Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan in their first three matches, Blauw-Zwart staged a strong comeback with a crucial victory against Aston Villa, helping them climb into the top 24 thanks to goal difference, despite losing 1-3 to Manchester City in the final match.
From there, they refocused on the Belgian Pro League, where they are currently 10 points behind league leaders Genk. Last weekend, Brugge continued to drop points when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Gent after conceding an equalizer in injury time.
Last season, Brugge won their fourth domestic league title in five years, but under manager Nicky Hayen, they have lost their former dominance.
Nevertheless, this team remains very strong when playing at Jan Breydelstadion, where they have only lost once in their last 17 matches – that defeat coming against Standard Liege last month. Their attack has also maintained consistency, with only one goalless game in their last 35 appearances.
Like Aston Villa, Brugge also participated in the Europa Conference League last season, where they advanced through three qualifying rounds to reach the semi-finals. Both teams are adapting well to the challenge in Europe's top competition.
The first time the two teams met in November, Club Brugge won narrowly 1-0. A lapse in concentration from Tyrone Mings allowed Hans Vanaken to calmly convert the penalty kick, securing the victory.
This result also helped Brugge break a streak of 14 consecutive matches without a win against English teams, including 11 defeats.
Latest Club Brugge vs Aston Villa score prediction
Based on the above football analysis, we and leading football websites worldwide have provided our predictions for the match.Club Brugge vs Aston Villaas follows:
- Sportsmole:Club Brugge 1-2 Aston Villa
- WhoScore:Club Brugge 1-1 Aston Villa
- Our newspaper predicts:Club Brugge 1-1 Aston Villa
When and where can I watch Club Brugge vs Aston Villa live?
To watch the Club Brugge vs Aston Villa match live in the Champions League at 00:45 on March 5th, viewers can tune in to the following channels:K+ Sport,K+PMor online sports channels. We hope you enjoy watching football.
