Aston Villa take on Bayern Munich on UCL Match Day 2.

2024-09-27

Aston Villa welcomes Bayern Munich to Villa Park for a thrilling UEFA Champions League clash, as both clubs aim to assert their dominance in an encounter steeped in historical significance and promising tactical fireworks.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa are back on the table of the Champions League after a commendable 3-0 win over Young Boys on the opening day of the revamped edition of the competition. This debut victory propelled Aston Villa to a spot in the top five, having earned three points alongside 14 others.

Now, Villa will face perhaps the toughest test of the season yet when they welcome Bayern Munich to Villa Park for UCL Match Day 2. This will be the second-ever meeting between both sides, with Villa winning the 1982 European Cup final 1-0 against the German side to secure their only major European title.

A 2-2 draw with Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town saw Villa’s remarkable four-game winning run [WWWWD] across all competitions come to an end. Although Villa have lost just as many games as they have won against German opposition [2W, 0D, 2L], they will be hoping to achieve back-to-back victories when they face six-time UCL Champions Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

‘We have to compete, prepare for the match, and try to get our performance in the Champions League playing against teams like Bayern Munich,’ Unai Emery said. ‘This is our next challenge,’ he added.

Ollie Watkins, who scored his fourth domestic goal in six appearances at the weekend, is expected to lead the attack in Unai Emery’s 4—4—1—1 formation.

FC Bayern München

After picking up the biggest win in UEFA Champions League history with a 9-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb, Bayern Munich are eager to remain at the top of the league phase table. The Bavarians are coming off a 1-1 draw in a Bundesliga thriller against current German champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayern Munich have only lost one of their last ten UEFA Champions League encounters with English sides, with seven wins and two draws; their sole defeat was a 0-3 loss to Manchester City in the 2022-23 quarter-final first leg. However, a recent dip in away form in the Champions League could hinder their quest for back-to-back victories.

Bayern are winless in their last three away matches in the competition, showing a record of zero wins, one draw, and two losses. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Thomas Müller leading the attack may be expected after Harry Kane limped off with an ankle injury in Saturday's draw with Bayer Leverkusen.

The Englishman's hat-trick of penalties on UCL match day 1 marked him as the first player to achieve such a feat in the history of the competition.