Aston Villa embark on their first-ever Champions League journey at the Wankdorf Stadium, in what looks like a very winnable opener against Young Boys.
Unai Emery's men have been in fine form this season, securing three wins from four, with their only defeat coming against Arsenal. They’ve impressed in every outing so far.
On the other hand, reigning Swiss champions Young Boys dominated the Swiss Super League last season, finishing 12 points clear of second-place Lugano.
But, believe it or not, they now find themselves at the bottom of the table after six matches, still winless and having conceded 14 goals. Despite their domestic woes, they managed to squeeze past Galatasaray to earn their spot in this competition.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
Young Boys vs. Aston Villa live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this Champions League match in UK:
TV channel: TNT Sports 1
Live stream: Discovery+
Fans can watch and live stream the first UEFA Champions League game of the season for Aston Villa in the UK on TNT Sports and discovery+. You can enjoy a 7-day complimentary trial on Discovery Plus by simply signing up for a membership.
What time does Young Boys vs. Aston Villa Eindhoven kick off?
This Champions League clash takes place at the Stadion Wankdorf in Bern, Switzerland and kicks off on Tuesday, September 17 at 6:45 p.m. local time.
Here's how that time translates in the UK:
| Date | Tuesday, Sep. 17 |
| Kick-off time | 5:45 p.m. BST |
| Venue | Stadion Wankdorf |
| Location | Bern, Switzerland |
Young Boys vs. Aston Villa predicted lineups, team news
Aston Villa will be missing some key players such as Leon Bailey, Matty Cash, and Boubacar Kamara for their Champions League opener. Backup goalkeeper Robin Olsen is also on the sidelines.
Ollie Watkins should retain his spot in the starting lineup after his excellent performance against Everton, with Jhon Duran to come off the bench in the second half.
Aston Villa predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Martinez (GK) — Nedeljkovic, Konsa, Torres, Digne — Onana, Barkley — McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers — Watkins.
Injured: Bailey, Cash, Kamara, Olsen
Suspended: None
Young Boys come into this match with an injury crisis. Saidy Janko, Meschack Elia, Abdu Conte, Patric Pfeiffer, Lukasz Lakomy, and Sadin Crnovrsanin are all on the sidelines.
Silvere Ganvoula, who has scored three of the team's seven league goals so far, will spearhead the attack.
Young Boys predicted XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Von Ballmoos (GK) — Blum, Camara, Zoukrou, Hadjam — Niasse, Lauper — Monteiro, Ugric, Colley — Ganvoula.
Injured: Janko, Elia, Conte, Pfeiffer, Lakomy, Crnovrsanin
Suspended: None
Young Boys vs. Aston Villa Prediction
Going into the group stage, Tuesday’s clash initially appeared to be a showdown of equals. However, with Young Boys struggling to find form in the Swiss Super League, they might not be up to the challenge against Aston Villa this midweek.
The Villans have their own issues, particularly in defense, where they’ve been less than convincing this season. That said, Young Boys should have enough chances to test Villa in the final third. Nevertheless, the visitors boast enough firepower to grind out a narrow win. The prediction? A hard-fought 2-1 victory for Unai Emery and his men.
- Prediction: Young Boys 1-2 Aston Villa
Champions League fixture schedule this week
Wednesday, September 18
- BSC Young Boys vs. Aston Villa FC
- Juventus vs. PSV Eindhoven
- AC Milan vs. Liverpool FC
- FC Bayern München vs. GNK Dinamo
- Real Madrid C.F. vs. VfB Stuttgart
- Sporting Clube de Portugal vs. LOSC Lille
Thursday, September 19
- AC Sparta Praha vs. FC Salzburg
- Bologna FC 1909 vs. FC Shakhtar Donetsk
- Celtic FC vs. ŠK Slovan Bratislava
- Club Brugge KV vs. Borussia Dortmund
- Manchester City vs. FC Internazionale Milano
- Paris Saint-Germain vs. Girona FC
Friday, September 20
- Feyenoord vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen
- FK Crvena Zvezda vs. SL Benfica
- AS Monaco vs. FC Barcelona
- Atalanta BC vs. Arsenal FC
- Atlético de Madrid vs. RB Leipzig
- Stade Brestois 29 vs. SK Sturm Graz
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