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 men overcame Atalanta on aggregate. Club Brugge first won at home 2-1 and then secured success in the return leg away (3-1). As a result, the club achieved two consecutive victories in the current Champions League campaign for the first time. Notably, the Belgians reached the playoff matches from 24th place in the overall stage, collecting 11 points and scoring just seven goals.
- The club has not lost in regular time in their last four home matches in the Champions League (3 wins, 1 draw).
- Both teams scored in 90 minutes in 5 of the last 6 encounters in this European competition.
- At least three goals were scored in regular time in 4 of the last 5 matches of 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 team skipped the playoff round. In the last round of the overall stage, Aston Villa defeated Celtic 4-2 at home, securing their fifth win in the current Champions League campaign. This result allowed the club to maintain a top-8 position in the standings and advance directly to the Round of 16. Notably, the English side conceded only six goals in the overall stage, ranking fourth in this category.
- At least one of the opponents failed to 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 encounters in this European competition.
- The English side did not win at halftime 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 match 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 the current Champions League campaign is directly linked to their strong performances at home. In four home matches during the overall stage, Club Brugge collected seven points, suffering only one defeat – against Borussia Dortmund. Additionally, in the playoff matches against Atalanta, the team started with a home victory. It is also worth noting that in this season's Champions League, the club already faced Aston Villa at home and won 1-0.
The English side performed strongly in the overall stage, but their away matches were not impressive. Besides the aforementioned match against Club Brugge, the team also suffered a setback in the away encounter with Monaco (0-1). They only managed to win against two clubs that struggled in the tournament – Young Boys (last place) and Leipzig (32nd place). Furthermore, Aston Villa lost their last two matches in the Premier League.
I believe the home advantage will help the Belgians to stand strong against the English side. My prediction: Club Brugge to win or draw
