The first leg of the 2024/25 Champions League Round of 16 between Club Brugge (Belgium) and Aston Villa (England) will take place on March 4 at the Jan Breydel Stadium. Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Club Brugge
In the previous round, Nicky Hayen's side overcame Atalanta on aggregate. Club Brugge first won at home with a score of 2-1 and then confirmed their success in the return leg away (3-1). As a result, the club secured back-to-back victories for the first time in this season's Champions League. Notably, the Belgians reached the playoff stage from 24th place overall, collecting 11 points and scoring just seven goals.
- The club has not lost in regular time in their last four home Champions League matches (3 wins, 1 draw).
- Both opponents scored in 5 of the last 6 matches in this European competition.
- At least three goals have been scored in regular time in 4 of the last 5 games for the Belgians in the Champions League.
Predicted lineup for Club Brugge (4-3-3)
Simon Mignolet – Maxim De Cuyper, Brandon Mechele, Joel Ordonez, Joaquin Sosa – Raphael Onyedika, Ardon Jashari, Hans Vanaken – Ferran Jutgla, Chemsdine Talbi, Christos Tzolis.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery's side skipped the playoff round. In the last round of the overall stage, Aston Villa defeated Celtic at home with a score of 4-2, securing their fifth victory in the current Champions League campaign. This result allowed the club to maintain a spot in the top 8 of the standings and advance directly to the Round of 16. Notably, during the overall stage, the English side conceded only six goals, ranking fourth in this metric.
- At least one of the opponents did not score in regular time in 6 of the last 8 matches in the Champions League.
- No more than two goals were scored in 90 minutes in 5 of the last 7 matches in this European competition.
- The English side did not win at the end of the first half in their last seven Champions League matches (6 draws, 1 loss).
Predicted lineup for Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
Emiliano Martinez – Ezri Konsa, Ian Maatsen, Lamare Bogarde, Matty Cash – John McGinn, Youri Tielemans – Morgan Rogers, Jacob Ramsey, Marco Asensio – Ollie Watkins.
Defenders Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings, as well as midfielders Ross Barkley and Amadou Onana, will miss the game due to injuries.
Referee
Joao Pinheiro (Portugal)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 32;
Average yellow cards per match – 4;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 25%.
Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa: Match Prediction
The success of the Belgians in this season's Champions League is closely tied to their strong home performances. In four home matches during the overall stage, Club Brugge collected seven points, suffering only one defeat – to Borussia Dortmund. Additionally, in the playoff matches against Atalanta, the team started with a home victory. It's also worth noting that in this Champions League campaign, the club has already faced Aston Villa at home and won 1-0.
The English side performed well in the overall stage, but their away performances were not impressive. Besides the aforementioned match against Club Brugge, the team also suffered a setback in an away match against Monaco (0-1). Victories were only achieved against two clubs that struggled in the tournament – Young Boys (last place) and RB Leipzig (32nd position). Moreover, Aston Villa has lost their last two matches in the Premier League.
I believe that the home advantage will help the Belgians to stand up to the English side. My prediction: Club Brugge win or draw
