Aston Villa faces Club Brugge in Champions League opener as revamped squad begins European campaign

Aston Villa kick off their 2026/27 Champions League campaign against Club Brugge on September 8 at the Jan Breydelstadion in Bruges, with the 5:45pm BST kick-off marking the beginning of what promises to be a very different European adventure for Unai Emery’s side. Villa earned their spot in the competition’s new 36-team league phase the hard way, winning the Europa League final against SC Freiburg in May 2026 while also finishing fourth in the Premier League. A familiar opponent, a very different Villa The matchup with Club Brugge carries a sense of deja vu for Villa supporters. The two sides met in the 2024/25 Champions League round of 16, where Villa cruised through on a 4-1 aggregate scoreline. Villa have won three of the last four meetings between the clubs. Club Brugge are no strangers to this stage. This marks their eighth Champions League appearance in nine seasons. The Belgian title holders earned direct qualification to the league phase and reached the knockout phase playoffs in 2025/26. Emery has described the European campaign as a “new test.” The new Champions League format This season represents the second year of the revamped Champions League league phase, which repl...