Club Brugge vs Aston Villa predictions, odds and betting tips

Aston Villa travel to Belgium to face Club Brugge in the Champions League round of 16.

Club Brugge vs Aston Villa best bets

• The game to end as a draw – 7/4 with bet365
• Over 2.5 goals to be scored in the game – evens with bet365
• Marco Asensio to score anytime – 10/3 with bet365

Club Brugge vs Aston Villa odds

Find the latest match odds for Club Brugge vs Aston Villa. All odds are provided by our best football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.

Club Brugge vs Aston Villa predictions

With three months of the season remaining, Aston Villa have plenty left to play for.

Unai Emery’s side advanced to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup at the weekend, with a winnable tie against Preston North End to follow at the end of March.

In the Premier League Villa are only four points shy of fifth place, which will almost certainly be sufficient for Champions League qualification this term.

They are still going strong in this season’s edition of that competition too. Villa finished in the top eight of the league phase, allowing them to bypass the play-offs and go straight through to the round of 16. Club Brugge stand between them and a place in the last eight.

The draw could have been much worse. That is not to say Club Brugge are not up to it. They were mightily impressive in the play-offs, dumping out an Atalanta outfit that had been held up as potential dark horses to lift the trophy.

Villa know better than most the threat Club Brugge pose: they lost 1-0 at the Jan Breydel Stadium in the league phase.

Even so, there is no point pretending that the Belgians are not one of the weakest teams left in the competition. They finished 24th in the league phase and only just scraped through to the play-offs. Domestically they trail Genk, the leaders of the Belgian Pro League, by nine points.

Villa struggled to balance the Premier League and the Champions League in the first half of the campaign. 

Now that they are in the knockout phase, most of the club’s supporters would be happy to prioritise the latter. After all, what is the point of qualifying for the Champions League if you are not prepared to throw everything at it once you get there?

Emery has proved himself to be one of the foremost negotiators of knockout European football over the last decade or so. He won three Europa Leagues at Sevilla and one with Villarreal, whom he also led to the last four of the Champions League.

Having Emery in the dugout in this type of tie is a real asset. Villa also have more quality at their disposal than Club Brugge, although that will not necessarily bother Nicky Hayen’s side, who thrived on their status as underdogs against Atalanta last time out.

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Club Brugge vs Aston Villa betting tips

Can Aston Villa establish a first-leg lead against Club Brugge on Tuesday evening?

Game to end as a draw

A bizarre Tyrone Mings error in the league phase meeting between these two teams saw Club Brugge awarded a penalty. Hans Vanaken made no mistake from the spot, giving the hosts all three points.

Yet even though the goal was preventable from an Aston Villa perspective, the visitors to Belgium were below par throughout that match.

It was not exactly a one-off either. Emery’s team have been shaky away from home all season long. 

Villa currently rank 16th in the Premier League away table. They did win twice on the road in the league phase, but generally Villa have struggled to get going on unfamiliar soil.

That will be a source of optimism for Club Brugge, although Villa should still be able to avoid defeat.

⚽ Go for a draw at 7/4 with bet365 ⚽

Over 2.5 goals scored

Emery would probably settle for a draw in the first leg knowing that Aston Villa would be strong favourites to advance on aggregate. 

Villa’s principal aim will therefore be to keep the back door shut, but they have struggled to do that of late.

True, they did keep a clean sheet against Championship team Cardiff City on Friday, but they have conceded seven goals in their last three league outings, all of which featured more than 2.5 goals.

Villa are without several defenders including Mings, Pau Torres, Matty Cash and Andres Garcia, leaving their backline weakened.

On top of all that, Club Brugge will need to take a few risks in attack as they look to establish a first-leg lead.

⚽ Choose over 2.5 goals at evens with bet365 ⚽

Marco Asensio to score any time

For obvious reasons, Marcus Rashford’s loan move to Aston Villa in the winter window garnered more attention than Marco Asensio’s temporary switch from Paris Saint-Germain.

But while he has shown flashes of quality, Rashford has hitherto been overshadowed by Asensio, who has scored four goals in his last three appearances.

The Spaniard has vast experience in the Champions League having been a part of three winning squads at Real Madrid.

That, along with Asensio’s on-field talent, will benefit Villa in this tie and hopefully beyond. The 29-year-old can make his mark against Club Brugge.

⚽ Tip Marco Asensio to score any time at 10/3 with bet365 ⚽

📺 How to watch Club Brugge vs Aston Villa

• Location: Jan Breydel Stadium, Brugge, Belgium.
• Date and time: Tuesday 4th March, 5.45pm. 
• How to watch: TNT Sports 1.

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