Bayern want to enjoy Champions League game – and win

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FC Bayern München

·1 October 2024

Bayern want to enjoy Champions League game – and win

Bayern’s first Champions League trip of the new season takes them to England to face Aston Villa on Wednesday for Matchday 2 of the league phase (kick-off at 9pm CEST, live coverage on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app with our live text commentary and free web radio). “It's a great joy to get to play away at a very good opponent. They were the toughest draw from Pot 4. The stakes are very high because it will be an intense game,” said board member for sport Max Eberl. Here’s all you need to know ahead of the game in our preview.

Recap all the build-up to the game on Tuesday with training, press conferences and more:

OneFootball Videos

Build-up to Bayern’s game at Aston Villa

Latest from Bayern

Bayern kicked off the Champions League campaign with a real statement result as they thrashed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 to go top of the table in the new league phase. Displays in the Bundesliga have also given the team momentum for their trip abroad. After starting with four wins, the Munich men may have only been held to a 1-1 draw by Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend, but the way the team dominated the Bundesliga champions was seriously impressive. “The performances of recent weeks have contributed to us going to Birmingham full of optimism. We’re going there to win,” Eberl added.

The objective at Villa Park is very clearly to pick up another three points and take the next step towards qualifying for the round of 16. “Our play is very good right now, very dominant. It feels good. We want to have as much possession as possible, to be clinical up front,” said Serge Gnabry at Tuesday’s press conference in Birmingham.

“The most successful football works with top players. Then, as a coach, you have to make a decision about which path you want to take. And every coach is different, everyone has different convictions. It's about the players wanting to fight, wanting to run, wanting to enjoy playing and having the belief that they can achieve something. It doesn't work any other way,” said coach Vincent Kompany when he spoke to the media.

Read up on the facts ahead of the game:

Facts ahead of Aston Villa vs. Bayern

Opponent: Aston Villa

Villa have enjoyed a real upturn in the last two or so years. The club from Birmingham, who celebrate their 150th anniversary this year, finished last season fourth in the English Premier League, ahead of the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester United. It saw Unai Emery’s team qualify for the Champions League for the first time in over 40 years. “It’s very special to play football in England. There's a great atmosphere in the old stadiums. They're very good for atmospheres. Football is often the biggest thing for people here in England. I'm looking forward to playing here tomorrow. It'll be Villa's first Champions League home game for many years. The place will be rocking,” Gnabry stated ahead of the game.

The Villans have also made a good start to this campaign, sitting fifth in the league with 13 points from six games and winning their opening Champions League match 3-0 away at Young Boys. It means there’s real excitement ahead of welcoming top-level European opposition back to the Midlands. “It's a long time since there's been a Champions League game at Villa Park. Everyone's excited for it. Playing in the Champions League for Villa is the best thing there is,” said striker Ollie Watkins.

“I think everything Aston Villa do is very clear. They're very well organised. You can see what they want to do in every phase of the game. They're compact. It's a similar style to Leverkusen,” Kompany explained of Wednesday’s opponents. “Being compact between the lines, how they want to pose a threat on the counter, the runs they want to make in behind. They do that very well, which is why they did so well last season.”

We spoke with former Bayern striker Alan McInally about Villa:

Alan McInally talks Aston Villa

Team news

Bayern remain without the injured trio of Hiroki Ito (metatarsal), Josip Stanisic and Sacha Boey (both knee). Harry Kane has travelled with the team to his homeland despite the knock to his ankle that forced him off against Leverkusen on Saturday. “Harry trained today, and things went well. But we need to wait and see till tomorrow and be sure things stay like that. Then we can calmly make the right decision. Hopefully everything stays fine,” Kompany announced.

Villa are without captain John McGinn, Matty Cash (both hamstring), Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings (both knee) for the game.

We’ve got some local tips for fans in Birmingham:

Tips for your trip to Birmingham

What the coaches say

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