Club Brugge vs Aston Villa: Preview, predictions and lineups | OneFootball

Aston Villa travel to Belgium on Tuesday where they will face Club Brugge in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.

The Villans avoided a nerve-inducing play-off by finishing in the top eight of the inaugural league phase table, but Club Brugge were not so fortunate. Despite drawing last season's Europa League winners Atalanta, the Belgian outfit won both legs in impressive fashion to book their ticket in the round of 16.

Villa already know the threat of their upcoming opponents after tasting a 1-0 defeat at the Jan Breydel Stadium back in November during the league phase. Hans Vanaken's second-half penalty decided the affair after an almighty howler from Tyrone Mings as he handled in the area.

Unai Emery is a master in European competition and will be confident that he can engineer a plan capable of securing a positive result to take back to Villa Park for the second leg.

Here is 90min's guide to the European tie.

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Club Brugge vs Aston Villa head-to-head record (all time)

Current form (all competitions)

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Club Brugge team news

Nicky Hayen has a relatively clean bill of health / Pier Marco Tacca/GettyImages

Club Brugge don't have many fitness concerns but manager Nicky Hayen is likely to be without Raphael Onyedika for the first leg. The midfielder, who scored against Manchester City earlier this term, missed the weekend draw with Gent due to injury.

Left-back Bjorn Meier is the only other confirmed absentee for Tuesday's duel. He's been out of action since the end of January.

Villa will need to keep incredibly close tabs on Vanaken, who is the Belgian side's chief creator. He has 16 goals and assists in the Jupiler Pro League this term and a further two in Europe.

Club Brugge predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Mignolet; Seys, Ordonez, Mechele, De Cuyper; Jashari, Vetlesen; Talbi; Vanaken, Tzolis; Jutgla.

Aston Villa team news

Tyrone Mings could miss the trip / Clive Mason/GettyImages

Villa are guaranteed to be without winter recruits Donyell Malen and Andres Garcia as neither have been registered in the Champions League squad, while long-term absentee Pau Torres continues to be joined on the sidelines by Amadou Onana.

Tyrone Mings was absent for the FA Cup clash with Cardiff City on Friday and could miss out again in Belgium, but Emiliano Martinez and Boubacar Kamara both returned to the squad against the Bluebirds.

Matty Cash was absent against Cardiff, too, but Emery had confirmed before the clash that the Poland international is nearing a return. He could make his comeback on Tuesday, as could Ross Barkley after two months in the treatment room.

Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Club Brugge (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Bogarde, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Rogers, Asensio, Ramsey; Watkins.

Club Brugge vs Aston Villa score prediction

Villa will be considered favourites over the two legs but visiting Bruges will prove an immense challenge - and one that the Midlands side have already failed to overcome this term. Club Brugge have lost just three home games this season and showed their offensive capabilities against Atalanta in the play-offs.

Emery's men, who have played a significant amount of football in recent weeks, can't afford even a whiff of complacency on Tuesday evening and it's of paramount importance that they avoid defeat heading back home for the second leg.