Club Brugge v Aston Villa: Champions League prediction, lineups & tips

Club Brugge host Aston Villa in matchday one of the expanded Champions League league phase, the format that now sees every club play a single 36-team table rather than mini-groups. Every point picked up in September carries weight later, with the top eight qualifying automatically for the last 16 and the rest facing a play-off round. Villa have already tasted the new system with an away win elsewhere in the competition, while this is Brugge's first outing of the campaign at Jan Breydel Stadion.

Brugge and Villa are no strangers. The two sides met in the Champions League round of 16 last season, with Villa winning both legs, 1-0 at Jan Breydel Stadion in the first leg and 3-0 at Villa Park in the return. That tie remains the most recent meeting between the clubs, and it is the only previous knockout contact either side has had with the other in Europe.

Villa's involvement in this season's league phase has already produced a positive result elsewhere, the current standings showing a win with three goals scored and two conceded, enough for second place in the 36-team table. Brugge go into their opener at home, looking to open their own account in front of their own supporters.

Matchday one of the league phase rarely sees wholesale changes, with both sides still finding their rhythm domestically and keen to bank early points rather than experiment. Villa have a thinner squad to choose from than they might like, with several players unavailable, which limits the scope for rotation regardless of intent. Brugge, missing a first-choice defender, are also likely to name a settled XI rather than risk late change against Premier League opposition.

Kick-off at Jan Breydel Stadion is at 17:45 BST. UK coverage of this season's Champions League league phase is shown on TNT Sports where selected, with Amazon Prime Video also holding a package of streaming rights for the competition. If the tie is level after 90 minutes it stands as a final result, extra time and penalties only applying from the knockout rounds onward, not in the league phase.