Aston Villa

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery on facing Club Brugge: "We have played them three times over the past two years and they showed us their quality. Different coach, different players, some players the same.

"It's similar for us – a new team, new players. We must play with focus, respect, try [to] compete, and try to get to our best collectively."

"Last year we started poorly and progressively we improved, finishing the season fantastically, but it is not easy."

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These two sides are no strangers to one another on the Champions League stage.

When Aston Villa reached the quarter-finals in 2024-25, they met three times.

Villa beat the Belgians 6-1 on aggregate in the last-16 in March 2025 - after Club Brugge had beaten Villa 1-0 in the league phase.

Champions League

Former West Ham midfielder Freddie Potts is starting for Club Brugge after moving to Belgium last month.

Meanwhile, winger Carlos Forbs is a former Manchester City academy player.

Meanwhile, long-serving Switzerland stopper Yann Sommer is the second goalkeeper to represent five clubs in the Champions League (Basel, Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Club Brugge), along with former Italy international Morgan de Sanctis (Udinese, Sevilla, Napoli, Roma, Monaco).

Aston Villa

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Zion Suzuki will become the first Japanese goalkeeper to appear in the Champions League - he was also the first to do so in the Premier League earlier this season.

Aston Villa

Barcelona at the Nou Camp in November and Paris St-Germain at Villa Park in December.

Aston Villa have some tasty Champions League games coming up.

Champions League

There's another game kicking off within the next half an hour.

LASK incredibly came from 4-0 down on aggregate to beat Celtic 5-4 in the play-offs and progress to the Champions League proper for the first time in their history.

They were crowned Austrian champions for the second time in their history last season but tonight they travel to Greece to take on AEK Athens - who return to the Champions League for the first time since 2018-19.

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Mr Mac: PSG have a great team, but would they be so great if they were playing in a competitive league week in, week out? The fact they've been able to rest players, move fixtures and still walk the league and be fresh for the knockouts seems unfair. The Premier League may have more financial leverage, but with the fixture congestion and competitiveness in English football, it puts English teams at a disadvantage.

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist, speaking to BBC Sport

I expect Paris St-Germain to get very close to winning it again.

But Barcelona are flying. They would like another centre-back and a number nine. It is what Hansi Flick wanted to get to the next level but he feels they are on the way to the top anyway.

Arsenal have found a way to win regularly, and with that off their shoulders, players feel a release that will make them play better.

Those three should be in the semis unless they meet before. The fourth, again draw permitting, should be Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or Manchester City.

Aston Villa

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Aston Villa are launching their Champions League campaign off the back of last season's magnificent Europa League triumph.

The 1982 European champions have had the heart ripped out of them since that memorable night against Freiburg in Istanbul in May.

Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne, Ezri Konsa, Emi Martinez and Ollie Watkins - who all started that final - have all gone.

And new-look Villa have managed just one shot on target in three Premier League games this season - and no goals.

Will Unai Emery's side finally get their season up and running in Bruges?

Bridge Water: Bayern Munich v Barcelona final, Kane to lift the trophy.

Champions League

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By the way, this season's final is back at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. The last time it was held there it was an all-Premier League affair, with Liverpool beating Tottenham 2-0 in 2019 to win it for the sixth time.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Former Chelsea and Scotland winger Pat Nevin is alongside Ian Dennis in Portugal for 5 Live commentary of Porto against Manchester City. Kelly Cates presents build-up from 19:00, with full match commentary to follow at 20:00.

Viva Bavaria: Really enjoy this new format of the Champions League, far better than the previous group stage. And far, far better than the old style European Cup where it was a rotation of the same old teams who'd park the bus in the away leg to get a 0-0 to try to win at home. Better football and more goals now.

Julien Laurens
ESPN journalist, speaking to BBC Sport

If Paris St-Germain do the three-peat, it would be an incredible achievement. I think two in a row is already special - three in a row is impossible unless you've got Cristiano Ronaldo in your team, which they don't.

I don't believe fully in the Jose Mourinho-Real Madrid project, so I would go for Bayern Munich and Arsenal to reach the final.

They are probably the teams, other than PSG, who have deserved to be there the most in the past two seasons. To win it, I'll go for Arsenal.

They have the best defence in Europe by far and that's what wins you titles.

Champions League

The BBC has retained the rights to broadcast highlights of the men's Champions League until the end of the 2030-31 campaign.

There are two shows on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website this week - on Wednesday and Thursday, both at 22:40 BST.

There's also a Champions League Final Score over the next three nights from 19:00 on the Red Button.

How to follow the Champions League on the BBC.

Aston Villa

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A huge night for young Aston Villa midfielder George Hemmings.

Aged 19 years and 188 days, he is the second youngest Aston Villa player to start a European Cup/Champions League match, behind Mark Walters in March 1983 v Juventus (18 years, 287 days).

Mike B: The Champions League should be a straight knockout competition with NO seeding.

Over at the Bernabeu a little later, it's Trent Alexander-Arnold against former Liverpool team-mate Curtis Jones, when record 15-time winners Real Madrid host champions of Italy Inter Milan.

That's going to be tasty.

Jose Mourinho's current club against Jose Mourinho's former club.

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The loss of Leon Goretzka for the start of Aston Villa's European campaign is a huge blow.

Experienced Germany midfielder Goretzka, a Champions League winner with Bayern Munich in 2020, was signed last month but has yet to make an appearance for his new club.

Posting on Instagram, Goretzka wrote: "Dear Villans.

"First of all, thank you for the incredible welcome. After my first few days at this club, the feeling that I'm exactly where I'm meant to be has grown stronger with each passing day.

"Unfortunately, my body has reacted to the increased workload after my time away from the pitch. It's frustrating, but I need this short break now to come back at full strength.

"I'll use the coming days, including the international break, to recover fully and I'll be back ready to fight and give everything for you and for Villa. Can't wait to see you on the pitch soon"

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Club Brugge boss Ivan Leko recalls Jan Virgili and Carlos Forbs for the hosts.

Former Wolves winger Forbs returns from a domestic ban as the pair replace Romeo Vermant and Mamadou Diakhon.

Club Brugge XI: Sommer, Sabbe, Han-beom Lee, Mechele, Seys, Potts, Vetlesen, Vanaken; Forbs, Tresoldi, Virgili.

Subs: Jackers, Vanden Driessche, Tsawa, Vermant, Mike, Siquet, Coulibaly, Spileers, Aldoor, Diakhon, Vasovic, Lemarechal.

Matty Cash has been left at home with muscle discomfort so Aaron Wan-Bissaka makes his full Aston Villa debut.

Tyrone Mings and Ross Barkley drop to the bench with Pau Torres in and Joao Gomes available for Villa in Europe while he serves his ban in the Premier League for his red card at Brighton last month.

Aston Villa XI: Suzuki, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, Gomes, McGinn, Buendia, Hemmings, Jackson.

Subs: Bizot, Wright, Mings, Barkley, Ruggeri, Abraham, Garnacho, Mbaye, Bogarde, Alysson.