0 Young Boys vs 3 Aston Villa
Young Boys take on Aston Villa in first-ever UCL meeting.
Young Boys begin their UEFA Champions League campaign against a resurgent Aston Villa at Stadion Wankdorf on Tuesday evening, as both teams aim to set the perfect tone in their first-ever meeting.
Young Boys
Young Boys reached the 2024-2025 Champions League proper following a 4-2 aggregate win against Turkish side Galatasaray in the play-off rounds. The Swiss Super League champions secured a 3-2 victory at Stadion Wankdorf before travelling to Turkey, where they claimed a 1-0 win, to secure consecutive appearances in the competition for the first time ever.
With the competition adopting a new league-like format, where each team plays four home and four away games against eight different teams, Young Boys will be looking to capitalise on home advantage when they welcome Aston Villa on Tuesday, hoping to secure maximum points in what would be their first-ever meeting. A 4-2 win against FC Vevey United in the Swiss Cup last time out sets the right tone for the hosts going into Tuesday’s game.
However, Patrick Rahmen’s side have won just one of their last six games against English opponents in the UEFA Champions League [1W, 1D, 4L], with the latest ending in a 6-1 aggregate loss to Manchester City last season. Furthermore, the Swiss club have lost four of their last seven European home matches, as many as in their previous 21 games.
A 4-4-2 formation could be seen against Aston Villa, with Cedric Itten and Joël Monteiro in attack.
Aston Villa
After finishing fourth in the league last season, one-time European Cup champions Aston Villa have returned to the competition for the first time since its rebranding. Overall, Villa are participating in the competition for the third time, their first since the 1982/83 season. Back then, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Juventus, losing 5-2 on aggregate [1-2 H, 1-3 A].
That loss ended their defence of the trophy they claimed with a 1-0 win against Bayern München in 1982. Last season, Unai Emery’s side reached the semifinals of the UEFA Europa Conference League but were eliminated by Olympiacos. Now, they are back in the continent’s biggest club competition, with a trip to Young Boys for their first test. The Birmingham-based club will be looking to kickstart their return on a strong note.
The Villans are coming off a comeback 3-2 victory against Everton in the league and will be hoping this win provides inspiration going into Tuesday’s game. Jhon Durán, who scored a 30-yard screamer at the weekend, and Ollie Watkins, who bagged a brace against Everton, are expected to start in attack when Emery deploys the 4—4—2 formation.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.