A seismic evening beckons at Villa Park as Aston Villa take on German behemoths Bayern Munich in a repeat of the 1982 European Cup final.
Villa’s finest hour arrived in Rotterdam against a great Bayern side 42 years ago, and the upcoming fixture will undoubtedly have the Villan fanbase rekindling the fondest memories of 26 May 1982.
The Premier League club are back in the big time following a fourth-place finish last season, and they celebrated their first appearance in the Champions League with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Young Boys in Switzerland. Unai Emery’s side, however, will be well aware of the step-up in quality that awaits them on Wednesday night.
Bayern were held at home to a deep-lying Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, but Vincent Kompany’s side had scored 20 goals in their previous three outings ahead of the 1-1 draw with the champions. They opened their league phase account with a monster 9-2 triumph over Dinamo Zagreb.
The Bavarian giants were semi-finalists in this competition last time out amid a disappointing campaign with Thomas Tuchel at the helm.
Here is 90min’s guide to Aston Villa vs Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Aston Villa vs Bayern Munich H2H Record (All Games)
Current form (all competitions)
How to watch Aston Villa vs Bayern Munich on TV and live stream
Aston Villa team news
Villa have had issues down their right flank since Matty Cash succumbed to a hamstring injury at the start of the season, and the Polish international isn’t expected to be back in time for Wednesday’s game. Ezri Konsa will likely continue at right-back in Cash’s absence.
John McGinn is also sidelined with a hamstring issue, but Villa have recently welcomed Leon Bailey back to the fold and he could retain his place in Emery’s XI for Bayern’s visit.
Boubacar Traore and Tyrone Mings are long-term absentees. Jhon Duran continues to wait in the wings for a starting berth, but he’s set to remain Villa’s ‘finisher’ for the time being.
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Bayern Munich
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Bailey, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins.
Bayern Munich team news
Harry Kane is the obvious injury concern after he limped off with an ankle problem against Leverkusen on Saturday, but England’s all-time record goalscorer is expected to start at Villa Park on Wednesday.
Bayern’s other injury concerns are pretty insignificant. The visitors are set to be without Sacha Boey, Josip Stanisic, Daniel Peretz, and Hiroki Ito for their upcoming European fixture.
Raphael Guerreiro could continue at right-back over Konrad Laimer with Joshua Kimmich impressing in midfield as of late. Manuel Neuer was back in the XI at the weekend having nursed a thigh complaint.
Bayern Munich predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Guerreiro, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane.
Aston Villa vs Bayern Munich score prediction
Strap in, folks, because this one is going to be lively.
A cacophony of Brummie voices will greet these two sets of players on Wednesday in what’s bound to be a fervent Villa Park atmosphere. The hosts will aim to capture the spirit of Rotterdam in ’82, and Emery will have his team believing they can down the six-time European champions.
Kompany’s Bayern may have been stifled on Saturday, but they’ve purred at the start of the Belgian’s tenure. Kane continues to score goals for fun, while Michael Olise has perhaps been the club’s standout performer. Can this high-octane Villa outfit contain Bayern’s dazzling creators?
That seems unlikely, but Villa, roared on by the crowd and determined to ensure Wednesday is a special occasion, may do enough to earn a point in what should be a thrilling game.
