BSC Young Boys vs. Aston Villa
Competition: Champions League – League Stage 1
Date: Tue 17 Sep 2024
Kickoff: 17:45
Venue: Stadion Wankdorf
Referee: Georgi Kabakov
Form: WLWW
Goals per match: 1.8
Average Possession: 50.6%
Goals conceded per match: 1.5
Pass Accuracy: 85.8%
Shots per game: 13.3
Tackles per game: 20.8
Dribbles per game: 9.5
BSC Young Boys Statistics
Form: WWWDW
Goals per match: 1.2
Average Possession: 52.7%
Goals conceded per match: 2.3
Team News Coming Soon…
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This will be the first ever meeting between Young Boys and Aston Villa. Swiss sides have only won seven of the previous 24 meetings with English sides in the UEFA Champions League (D6 L11), while six of those seven victories were achieved by Basel (one by Young Boys).
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Aston Villa will become the 11th different English club to compete in the UEFA Champions League, and the first English newcomer since Leicester City in 2016-17 (won 3-0 in their first game versus Club Brugge).
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Young Boys have only won one of their previous six games against English opponents in the UEFA Champions League (D1 L4), losing home and away to Manchester City in the competition last season. Their only victory over an English side came in September 2021, winning 2-1 at home to Manchester United.
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This will be Aston Villa’s first game in the European Cup/UEFA Champions League since March 1983, when they were beaten over two legs by Juventus in the 1982-83 quarter-final (1-2 at home in the first leg, 1-3 in the second leg away).
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Young Boys won their previous home game in the UEFA Champions League, beating Crvena Zvezda 2-0 on MD5 last season. Only once before have they won consecutive home matches in the competition – 2-1 v Juventus and Manchester United between 2018 and 2021.
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Aston Villa will be the sixth different team Unai Emery has managed in the UEFA Champions League, after spells with Valencia, Spartak Moscow, Sevilla, Paris SG and Villarreal. The only manager who’s taken charge of more than six different sides in the competition is Carlo Ancelotti (8).
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Unai Emery’s last game in the UEFA Champions League was back in May 2022, with his Villarreal side being eliminated 2-5 on aggregate against Liverpool in the semi-finals (0-2 away, 2-3 at home). That final four appearance was the current Aston Villa boss’ best ever finish in a single season in the competition.
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Meschack Elia scored in two of Young Boys’ three home games in the UEFA Champions League last season (v RB Leipzig and Manchester City), netting half of their goals at the Wankdorf Stadium in the competition in 2023-24 (2/4).
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Young Boys’ Cheikh Niasse averaged more interceptions per 90 (2.9) than any other player in the UEFA Champions League last season (min. 300 minutes played).
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Ollie Watkins scored five goals in the 2023-24 UEFA Europa Conference League; the joint-most by an Aston Villa player in a major European campaign (level with Gary Shaw in 1982-83 European Cup and John Deehan in 1977-78 UEFA Cup).
How are you feeling? What's your starting XI? Predictions? UTV!
by just_boof_it
3 Comments
I still can’t quite believe this is happening.
Omg we’re playing in the Champions League tomorrow. What the fuck, it’s like we’ve somehow started living one of my old FIFA saves or something.
Feeling confident, love this team, love this manager – let’s fucking get it.
A Champions League pre-match thread. I’m gonna enjoy getting used to these.
We’ll definitely see some rotation – I respect the people who say it’s the UCL and you’ve got to play your strongest eleven, but with effectively 7 games in three weeks you have to rotate and also respect those who deserve to have played their way into the lineup. Durán should be starting this, whether that’s in Watkins’ place or if Emery tries something spicy with Bailey out, I guess we’ll see. I hope Maatsen gets the nod too – no knock on Digne who’s had a great start to the season, but I think it’s a fair swap for this game. I wouldn’t be opposed to see Barkley begin the match either, especially with the knock Onana took against Everton. I’d go Kosta over Bogarde too I think, but I’d trust either to get the job done. Other than that, pretty open to whatever. Some more minutes for Buendia and Philogene will do me just nicely though.
As for the score, gotta stick with the 4-0 until it happens. Durán, Pau, Tielemans and a late Philogene beauty to seal it. Starting with a bang.