Club Brugge vs Aston Villa Prediction, Lineups and Odds: Where to watch this evening's game

Aston Villa make the trip to Belgium this evening to take on Club Brugge in the first-leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

With kick-off fast-approaching at 5.45pm, Matthew O’Regan has previewed the clash, supplying bets of 6/1 and 14/1. You can also find information on the starting line-ups and where to watch the game.

Club Brugge scraped through to the knockout rounds after finishing above Dinamo Zagreb on goal difference during the league phase. This set up a crunch knockout game against Europa League holders Atalanta, with Nicky Hayen’s side winning 2-1 at home and shocking the Bergamo outfit 1-3 away from home.

The wins would be a relief for the 44-year-old who was under pressure after a run of disappointing results in the league that saw Genk move nine points clear at the summit. Blauw-Zwart were European Cup runners up in 1978. While it’s unlikely they will make it that far this time around, there is real belief that they can cause an upset against Aston Villa. Hayen has a near full-strength side to choose from. Only Raphael Onyedika is expected to miss out.

After finishing fourth in the Premier League last season, Aston Villa have flattered to deceive this season, sat tenth. However, with the tight nature of the league, they are just four points off Champions League qualification, so all hope is not lost.

The Villains finished eighth in the league phase, skipping the knockout, play-off decider, so have played two less Champions League games than Tuesday’s opponents so far. Unai Emery excels in European competitions, winning the Europa League four times in an illustrious career.

On the injury front, Amadou Onana, Donyell Malen, Matty Cash, Pau Torres, Ross Barkley and Tyrone Mings remain out. Villa swept past Cardiff 2-0 in the FA Cup, leaving the game unscathed and into the quarter finals.

The sides have already met in this year’s tournament, with a 52nd minute Hans Vanaken penalty the difference in a dismal Villa display.

Ardon Jashari is likely to start in centre midfield on Tuesday night and faces a tough task against a strong Aston Villa midfield who have drawn 34 yellow cards from opposition centre midfielders. The Swiss international has already been booked in the Champions League this campaign, with two centre midfielders booked for Brugge in the group stage fixture.

Morgan Rogers has caught the eye for his dazzling attacking displays, but the 22-year-old has a tenacious side that often sees him in the referee’s notebook. Rogers has averaged 1.64 fouls and 0.32 yellows per 90 in the Premier League, as well as picking up a yellow card in last Champions League away game against Monaco.

After a strained relationship with new Manchester United Ruben Amorim, Marcus Rashford was loaned to Aston Villa until the end of the season. It is the first time he hasn’t played for The Red Devils in his ten-year playing career, and he has settled in excellently at Villa, impressing in 285 minutes over six appearances. 

The 27-year-old has got three assists in this time, registering 0.94 xA in 45 minutes off the bench against Chelsea and 0.78 xA against Ipswich. Rashford has plenty of big game experience, so Emery is likely to call upon the English international who excels on the counterattack.

Club Brugge vs Aston Villa Lineups

The starting lineups for Club Brugge vs Aston Villa can now be viewed in the graphic below.