Young Boys vs Aston Villa will look to kick-start their UEFA Champions League campaigns when they clash at Wankdorf Stadium on Tuesday.
The UEFA Champions League returns with a new format, replacing the traditional group stage with a league phase. Each of the 36 participating teams will face eight different opponents without repeating any, all vying for a spot in the top 16. This season also features Thursday fixtures, with two early kick-offs setting the stage: Juventus vs PSV Eindhoven and BSC Young Boys vs Aston Villa.
BSC Young Boys had a challenging path to reach the new league phase, securing their spot by winning the Swiss Super League and overcoming Galatasaray 4-2 on aggregate in the playoffs. However, their domestic form has been lackluster, with no wins in their first six league matches, leaving them in 12th place.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, has had an inconsistent start to the 2024/25 season. Despite losing only one game so far, they have struggled to keep clean sheets in the Premier League. The Villans qualified for the UEFA Champions League by finishing fourth last season and have shown strong attacking prowess, even if their defensive performance has been shaky.
Tuesday’s clash will mark the first-ever meeting between Young Boys vs Aston Villa. The Hard Tackle previews this historic encounter as both teams look to make an impact in their UEFA Champions League opener.
Team News & Tactics
BSC Young Boys
Patrick Rahmen is facing a challenging start to BSC Young Boys’ 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign, with six first-team players ruled out for their opening match against Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Facinet Conte remains sidelined for the season as he recovers from a long-term knee injury. Additionally, Abdu Conte (muscular issue), Patric Pfeiffer (hip), Saidy Janko (unspecified), Loris Benito (ACL), and Lukasz Lakomy (leg) are all unavailable.
David von Ballmoos will take his place in goal, with BSC Young Boys expected to deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation. The defensive lineup should include Lewin Blum, Mohamed Camara, Tanguy Zokrou, and Jaouen Hadjam.
In midfield, Sandro Lauper and Cheick Niasse will form the double pivot, aiming to control the central areas. Filip Ugrinic is set to play the No. 10 role, while Joel Monteiro and Ebrima Colley will operate as the wide attackers. Up front, Silvere Ganvoula will lead the attack for Young Boys against Aston Villa.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Von Ballmoos; Blum, Camara, Zoukrou, Hadjam; Lauper, Niasse; Monteiro, Ugrinic, Colley; Ganvoula
Aston Villa
Unai Emery faces a challenge ahead of Aston Villa’s trip to the Wankdorf Stadium, as six key first-team players will be unavailable for Tuesday’s clash against BSC Young Boys.
The most significant absence is Leon Bailey, who remains sidelined due to a hamstring injury. Additionally, Robin Olsen (head), Matty Cash (thigh), and Jaden Philogene (match fitness) are expected to return before the end of September. Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara, though back in training, are still not match-ready but should be available soon.
Emiliano Martinez is a guaranteed starter in goal, with Aston Villa expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The defensive setup will likely include Kosta Nedeljkovic, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, and Ian Maatsen.
In midfield, Amadou Onana is set to partner with fellow Belgian Youri Tielemans in a double pivot, while Jacob Ramsey will occupy the No. 10 role. John McGinn and Morgan Rogers should feature as the wide attackers, providing support to Ollie Watkins, who will lead the line. Jhon Duran will likely be an attacking option off the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Nedeljkovic, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Ramsey, Rogers; Watkins
Key Stats
- Swiss teams have historically struggled against English opposition in the UEFA Champions League, winning just seven of their last 24 encounters (D6 L11), with six of those victories coming from FC Basel and one from BSC Young Boys.
- As for Young Boys, they have only managed one win in their last six meetings with English teams in the competition (D1 L4), suffering home and away defeats to Manchester City last season. Their sole triumph came in a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in September 2021.
- Young Boys come into this fixture on the back of a 2-0 home win against Crvena Zvezda in their most recent Champions League outing. They’ll be aiming to win consecutive home games in the competition for only the second time, having previously defeated both Juventus and Manchester United between 2018 and 2021.
- On the opposing side, Unai Emery returns to the UEFA Champions League for the first time since leading Villarreal to the semi-finals in 2022, where they were eliminated by Liverpool with a 5-2 aggregate score (0-2 away, 2-3 at home). That run marked Emery’s best finish in the competition to date.
- Young Boys’ forward Meschack Elia has been a standout in their recent Champions League home fixtures, scoring in two of their three games last season against RB Leipzig and Manchester City. He netted half of Young Boys’ goals at Wankdorf Stadium in the competition during the 2023/24 campaign.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
Jhon Duran was a strong contender for this spotlight after his impressive contributions off the bench, and Meschack Elia also stood out for his performances with BSC Young Boys in last season’s UEFA Champions League. However, our focus is on Ollie Watkins as the Player to Watch.
Watkins had a standout run in the 2023/24 UEFA Europa Conference League, netting five goals—tying the record for the most by an Aston Villa player in a major European competition, alongside Gary Shaw (1982/83 European Cup) and John Deehan (1977/78 UEFA Cup). The English forward will be eager to carry that form into Aston Villa’s clash against BSC Young Boys this week, aiming to make an impact on the European stage once again.
Prediction
BSC Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
Heading into the group stage, Tuesday’s clash initially seemed like a contest between evenly-matched teams. However, BSC Young Boys have been struggling to find form in the Swiss Super League, which may leave them short against a resilient Aston Villa side this midweek.
Despite their own defensive concerns this season, Aston Villa have the firepower to edge out a win. While Young Boys are likely to create opportunities in the final third, Unai Emery’s team should have the quality to secure a hard-fought victory. A 2-1 triumph for Aston Villa seems the likely outcome in this intriguing European fixture.
How to Watch
Watch online via NaijaSport247 TV.
