(Photo by Paul Ellis / AFP)

Aston Villa vs Bayern Munich, October 2nd: Round 2 Champions League Preview

Both Aston Villa and Bayern Munich are in good form before they meet in Round 2 of the Champions League. Who will come away with the victory at Villa Park?

Home debut in the Champions League for Aston Villa

Unai Emery’s team has had a solid start to the season. In their first eight games, they’ve had six wins and only one loss, which includes a strong 3-0 victory in Switzerland against Young Boys in the first round of the Champions League.

It was the first match for ‘The Villans’ in Europe’s most prestigious club tournament since 1982/83 and their first appearance since the format was changed in the 90s. Now, they are gearing up for their first-ever home match in the Champions League, where they’ve won two consecutive games since losing to Arsenal in August.

Their opponent in this match is Bayern Munich, a team the hosts have fond memories of. These two teams met in the final of the old European Cup back in 1982, which Villa surprisingly won against the German giants. Can they pull off another upset on home turf?

Bayern Munich started with a big win

Last season was a major disappointment for Bayern Munich. For the first time since 2012, they failed to win the Bundesliga, finishing “only” third behind Leverkusen and Stuttgart. With no titles to show for it, coach Thomas Tuchel had to go, and Vincent Kompany was brought in as his replacement this summer.

Things have started off very well for the Belgian, with six straight wins before this past weekend’s 1-1 home draw against reigning champions Leverkusen. In the first round of the Champions League, they showed no mercy, beating Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 at home, with Harry Kane scoring four goals.

‘Die Bayern’ now sit at the top of the Champions League table after matchday 1. The team is always a force to be reckoned with in the tournament, narrowly losing last year’s semifinal to Real Madrid and winning the trophy most recently in 2020. What can they achieve in their first away game of the season?

Previous meetings

As mentioned earlier, these two teams have some history on Europe’s biggest stage. Back in 1982, the final of the European Cup was played between Aston Villa and Bayern Munich in Rotterdam, which Villa surprisingly won 1-0 after a goal by Peter Withe.

It was Bayern’s first loss in a final, after winning the tournament three years in a row in 1974, 1975, and 1976. That victory also marked the sixth consecutive year that an English team won the trophy, a record that still stands today. Matches between English and German teams tend to be exciting – what can we expect this time?

Recent results for Aston Villa

29.09.24, Premier League, Ipswich – Aston Villa 2-2
24.09.24, Carabao Cup: Wycombe – Aston Villa 1-2
21.09.24, Premier League: Aston Villa – Wolverhampton 3-1
17.09.24, Champions League: Young Boys – Aston Villa 0-3
14.09.24, Premier League: Aston Villa – Everton 3-2

Recent results for Bayern Munich

28.09.24, Bundesliga: Bayern Munich – Bayer Leverkusen 1-1
21.09.24, Bundesliga: Werder Bremen – Bayern Munich 0-5
17.09.24, Champions League: Bayern Munich – Dinamo Zagreb 9-2
14.09.24, Bundesliga: Holstein Kiel – Bayern Munich 1-6
01.09.24, Bundesliga: Bayern Munich – Freiburg 2-0

Where to watch Aston Villa vs Bayern Munich

In the UK, you can watch the Champions League live on TNT Sports and Discovery+. The match between Aston Villa and Bayern Munich will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and Ultimate, whilst also being available to stream on Discovery+. The game will be played at Villa Park in Birmingham, with kick-off on Wednesday, October 2, at 20:00.