Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa LIVE: Champions League updates as Emery's side begin European campaign

After a historic Europa League triumph last season, Aston Villa return to the Champions League with a game at Club Brugge. ********************************* (𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐲 & 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐖. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐲𝐨𝐮) ➡️ Copy and paste in your search bar ➡️ https://bb-ustv.com/soccer/ ➡️ Copy and paste in your search bar ➡️ https://bb-ustv.com/soccer/ ********************************** It is Unai Emery's side's first game in the competition since April of last year, when they went all the way to the quarterfinals before being knocked out by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain. - Unai Emery hopes Champions League 'new test' kickstarts Aston Villa's season Club Brugge 0 VOTE VS 0 Aston Villa VOTE Last Update: in 2 minutes Live Info 40 minutes ago Pinned What to know Unai Emery makes three changes as Aston Villa return to the Champions League after their Europa League triumph in May. Wan-Bissaka makes his first start for the club, while Joao Gomes returns after suspension. Unai Emery's side have not scored a competitive goal yet this season, and have picked up just one point from three games so far. Club Brugge made it to the playoff phase of the Champions League last season, losing to Atletico Madrid. SHARE in 2 minutes Mbaye to make debut? Unlike Goretzka, Ibrahim Mbaye could well make his Villa debut tonight. Having become the youngest African player ever to score at a World Cup this summer, and having been linked with the likes of Liverpool before making the move to Villa Park, he's a signing that Villa fans are rightly excited about. He's also a player who knows what it's like to be part of a Champions League-winning squad -- he played four times in the competition for Paris Saint-Germain last season as they defended their crown. He starts on the bench tonight. Mbaye to make debut? (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) SHARE 12 minutes ago Why no Goretzka? Those waiting to catch a glimpse of 2020 Champions League winner Leon Goretzka will have to wait, as the German revealed on social media yesterday that he has suffered an injury which will keep him from making his Villa debut for now. "Dear Villans," he wrote on Instagram. "First of all, thank you for the incredible welcome. After my first few days at this club, the feeling that I'm exactly where I'm meant to be has grown stronger with each passing day. "Unfortunately, my body has reacted to the increased workload after my time away from the pitch. It's frustrating, but I need this short break now to come back at full strength. "I'll use the coming days, including the international break, to recover fully and I'll be back ready to fight and give everything for you and for Villa. Can't wait to see you on the pitch soon." Why no Goretzka? (Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images) SHARE 19 minutes ago Who will finally score Villa's first goal of the season tonight? Nicolas Jackson Emi Buendia John McGinn George Hemmings No one! 21 minutes ago Is today the day? Aston Villa will take heart from the fact that their team started last season in terrible form, and went on to have one of the greatest campaigns in the club's history. But that doesn't mean that they might be a little concerned about the fact that they still haven't celebrated a goal yet in 2026-27. Will today be the day? It's certainly not unlikely that one of Jackson, Buendia, McGinn or the much-fancied Hemmings will finally break the deadlock tonight -- but Villa fans probably said that about Saturday's game at Hull, too. Is today the day? (Photo by Aston Villa/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images) SHARE 34 minutes ago Familiar faces in Brugge lineup Joao Gomes is not the only player who can play in Europe despite a domestic ban, as Carlos Forbs -- who spent the 2024-25 season on loan at Wolves -- returns for Club Brugge. The home side's XI also features Freddie Potts, who joined the club from West Ham this summer. Club Brugge: Sommer; Sabbe, Han-beom Lee, Mechele, Seys; Vetlesen, Potts; Carlos Forbs, Vanaken, Virgil; Tresoldi Subs: Jackers, Vanden Driessche, Tsawa, Vermant, Mike, Siquet, Coulibaly, Spileers, Audoor, Diakhon, Vasovic, Lemarechal SHARE an hour ago Gomes, Wan-Bissaka in for Villa The big news for Aston Villa is that Joao Gomes is, perhaps unsurprisingly, back in having missed the last two Premier League games through suspension. Aaron Wan-Bissaka also makes his first start for the club, with Pau Torres the last of three changes from the side which drew 0-0 with Hull on Saturday. Ross Barkley, Matty Cash and Tyrone Mings drop out. Aston Villa: Suzuki; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Pau Torres, Maatsen; Joao Gomes, Kamara; McGinn, Buendia, Hemmings; Jackson Subs: Bizot, Wright, Mings, Barkley, Ruggeri, Garnacho, Abraham, Mbaye, Bogarde, Alysson SHARE an hour ago Welcome! Duh duh, duh duh duh, the Champiooooonnnnsss! That's right, it's that time of the year again. The days are starting to get a little colder, the nights are starting to get a little darker, and the football is starting to get a little more interesting. Aston Villa are the first of the British teams to get their Champions League seasons underway, and they do so on the back of a historic Europa League triumph last season. Not that many of the players who won that competition in May are still here! Speaking of which, team news next! SHARE Nonetheless, it is a very different Villa side from the one which lost to PSG, or even the one which beat Freiburg in Istanbul in May. As part of a turbulent summer, Villa said goodbye to Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins, Youri Tielemans, Donyell Malen, Emiliano Martínez, Lucas Digne and Leon Bailey, among others. In their place is a core of much younger, but far less established names, like Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson, Ibrahim Mbaye, João Gomes, Zion Suzuki, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Matteo Ruggeri, Leon Goretzka, Alejandro Garnacho and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Of the eight players who were brought in for a fee, according to Transfermarkt, the oldest -- Jackson and Gomes -- are just 25. After such a sea change at Villa Park, it is perhaps unsurprising that Unai Emery's side still looks to be finding its feet. Villa are yet to score a goal in their three competitive matches this season. Their campaign began with a humbling 4-0 defeat at Brighton, in which Gomes was sent off. That was followed by a defeat to Arsenal, in which Villa gave a good account of themselves but lost thanks to Bukayo Saka's second-half goal. Villa finally picked up their first point of the season on Saturday, but were unable to find a winner against a Hull side that have started in impressive fashion this season. 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UEFA Champions League live updates: Villa kick off league phase against Brugge ESPN Sep 8, 2026, 12:03 PM ET Share LikeLike Open Extended Reactions Like 4 THE CHAMPIONS! The league phase of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League finally gets underway this week, with some of Europe's biggest clubs beginning their campaigns. Here's what's on deck for Tuesday: AEK Athens vs. LASK, Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa, Borussia Dortmund vs. Villarreal, FC Porto vs. Manchester City, Lille vs. Real Betis and Real Madrid vs. Internazionale. Enjoy all the updates from the day's Champions League action across Europe.