Aston Villa vs Club Brugge: Preview, Prediction & Lineups

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Aston Villa vs Club Brugge: UCL Second Leg Preview

Aston Villa will welcome Club Brugge to Villa Park on Wednesday for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie. Having won 3-1 in the first leg in Belgium, Villa are in a strong position to book their spot in the quarter-finals.

Villa dominated the first leg, showing their attacking prowess and defensive solidity. Now they return to Villa Park with a two-goal cushion and will look to wrap up the tie in front of their fans. Unai Emery’s side has been impressive in the Champions League so far and will be full of confidence to progress.

Club Brugge on the other hand have a mountain to climb. The Belgian side has been inconsistent and will need to produce a special performance to turn the tie around. They’ve shown flashes of quality this season but their defensive problems could cost them against an in form Aston Villa attack.

Team News & Tactics

Aston Villa

Aston Villa will be without Amadou Onana (knock) and Ross Barkley (calf), and Donyell Malen and Andres Garcia are ineligible for this game. Unai Emery will stick with his 4-2-3-1 formation.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Disasi, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Bailey, Rogers, Rashford; Watkins

Club Brugge

Club Brugge will miss Joaquin Seys and Bjorn Meijer. They’ll line up in 4-2-3-1 as well, with Simon Mignolet in goal.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mignolet; Sabbe, Ordonez, Mechele, Cuyper; Jashari, Vanaken; Olsen, Nielsen, Tzolis; Nilsson

Key Stats

Aston Villa have won four of their last five games.
Club Brugge have won two of their last six.
Five goals have been scored in the last two meetings between the two teams.
Club Brugge have conceded ten goals in their last six games.* Marco Asensio has scored ten Champions League goals as a substitute, including one from the penalty spot in the first leg.

Player to Watch: Ollie Watkins

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Ollie Watkins will be vital for Aston Villa as they look to wrap up the tie. He’s been in good form and will look to exploit Club Brugge’s defensive weaknesses. He can score and create for his teammates so he’s a key man for Villa.

Aston Villa vs Club Brugge Prediction

With a two-goal cushion and home advantage at Villa Park, Aston Villa will be in the driving seat. Club Brugge might cause some problems on the counter, but they lack the consistency to turn this tie around.