Both teams had strong starts to this season's competition. Villa won 3-0 against Young Boys in Switzerland, while Bayern Munich demolished Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 in a record-breaking performance. Aston Villa’s return to Europe’s top competition for the first time since 1983 brings them back to face the German giants they once defeated to become champions.
Villa heads into the match after a convincing victory in their Champions League debut, with goals from Youri Tielemans, Jacob Ramsey, and Amadou Onana. They’ll be aiming to follow in the footsteps of fellow Midlands club Leicester City, who won their first two group-stage games back in 2016. Villa's league form has been strong too, though they recently let a 2-1 lead slip to draw with Ipswich Town, leaving them fifth in the Premier League.
Under Unai Emery, Villa has risen rapidly, reaching the Conference League semi-finals last season and winning their first six home games in European competition. Emery has a solid track record in Europe, having beaten Bayern twice before, though one of his rare Champions League group-stage defeats came against the same team in 2017 when he was managing PSG.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich is in red-hot form. Their 9-2 thrashing of Dinamo Zagreb set a new Champions League record for the most goals in a single game, with Harry Kane scoring four. Bayern has been unstoppable, scoring 30 goals in Vincent Kompany’s first seven matches as manager. Though their perfect start was recently halted by a 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern remains a formidable force in Europe.
Unbeaten in 41 Champions League group-stage games since 2017, Bayern has reached the quarter-finals or beyond in 12 of the last 13 seasons. They’re aiming for another deep run this year, and a win at Villa Park will be crucial in securing their spot in the next round.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Unai Emery will be without his captain, John McGinn, for Aston Villa's upcoming game on Wednesday due to a hamstring injury. This will be the Scottish midfielder’s third consecutive missed match. Matty Cash is also sidelined with a thigh injury, while Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara have returned to full training but are not yet ready to rejoin the squad.
On the brighter side, Villa's attacking options remain strong. Leon Bailey is back in action, and Jhon Duran, who has scored four goals off the bench this season, is level with Ollie Watkins as the club's top scorer, with Watkins finding the net again on Sunday. Meanwhile, Morgan Rogers made an impressive Champions League debut, creating four chances, setting a new record for an English player on their first appearance since Danny Welbeck in 2009, and scored his first Premier League goal last weekend.
For Bayern Munich, Michael Olise is in fine form, with five goals in his last four matches, while Harry Kane continues to make history. His recent goal against Werder Bremen was his 41st in the Bundesliga, surpassing Jadon Sancho as the league's highest-scoring English player. Kane, who limped off with an ankle injury against Leverkusen, is expected to start and has a strong record at Villa Park, with two game-winning goals and seven goal involvements in six games there.
On the injury front for Bayern, Manuel Neuer returned to action on Saturday after recovering from a thigh issue, but Sacha Boey, Josip Stanisic, and new signing Hiroki Ito are still out with knee and foot injuries.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Bailey, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Guerreiro, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Musiala, Gnabry; Kane
EXPERT PREDICTION
Aston Villa 2-3 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich typically steamroll their opponents in Europe, and even a confident Aston Villa team is unlikely to stop them this week.
With Villa's defense still looking shaky, Kane, Olise, and the rest of Bayern’s attack should have no trouble finding the back of the net more than once in Birmingham, securing all six points from their first two games.
