Aston Villa turn their attention to the Champions League on Tuesday evening as Unai Emery’s side travel to Belgium to face Club Brugge.
Villa head into their European opener following a frustrating 0-0 draw at Hull City, leaving them without a goal across their opening three Premier League matches.
The trip to Belgium begins a demanding European programme for Emery’s rebuilt squad, with Villa’s full schedule already mapped out in our Aston Villa Champions League fixtures guide.
Here is everything supporters need to know ahead of Matchday One.
Club Brugge vs Aston Villa kick-off time
Club Brugge host Aston Villa at the Jan Breydelstadion on Tuesday, 8 September, with kick-off scheduled for 17:45 BST.
The key match details are:
- Fixture: Club Brugge vs Aston Villa
- Competition: UEFA Champions League
- Stage: League phase, Matchday One
- Date: Tuesday, 8 September 2026
- Kick-off: 17:45 BST
- Venue: Jan Breydelstadion, Bruges
Villa’s place on the opening-night schedule is confirmed on UEFA’s official Aston Villa Champions League fixture page, with the Belgian trip beginning a league-phase run that also includes several high-profile European opponents.
What TV channel is Club Brugge vs Aston Villa on?
Club Brugge vs Aston Villa will be shown live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.
Coverage is scheduled to begin at 17:00 BST, 45 minutes before kick-off, according to the latest Club Brugge vs Aston Villa TV listing.
Supporters who want to stream the game can watch TNT Sports through HBO Max, which is now the UK streaming home of TNT Sports’ Champions League coverage.
That means discovery+ should no longer be treated as the primary streaming option for Villa’s European matches.
Aston Villa early team news
Johan Manzambi will be one of the biggest names to watch in the build-up to Tuesday.
The club-record signing missed the trip to Hull despite returning to group training as he continued recovering from the knee injury that has delayed his Villa debut.
Emery revealed before the Hull game that Manzambi still required several more days, but refused to rule out a return either against Club Brugge or Nottingham Forest.
Our latest Johan Manzambi injury update explains why the Champions League opener could now become the next realistic target for his return.
His availability would give Emery another badly needed midfield option as Villa attempt to rediscover their attacking rhythm.
Brian Madjo, however, will not feature in Belgium.
The 17-year-old remains sidelined following the injury he suffered during the UEFA Super Cup and was also left out of Villa’s Champions League List A.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis unavailable against Club Brugge
Taylor Harwood-Bellis cannot make his European debut for Aston Villa on Tuesday.
The Deadline Day signing was surprisingly omitted from Emery’s 23-man Champions League List A shortly after completing his move from Southampton.
Villa’s decision to leave the defender out was covered in our Champions League squad omission report, with the £30million arrival therefore unavailable for the league-phase opener.
Emery has since explained that Villa already possess sufficient centre-back cover, with Lamare Bogarde and Boubacar Kamara capable of dropping into defence if required.
The manager has nevertheless opened the door for Harwood-Bellis to return to his European plans later in the season, as detailed in our follow-up on Emery’s Harwood-Bellis stance.
Harwood-Bellis remains fully available for domestic fixtures.
Aston Villa’s record against Club Brugge
Tuesday’s encounter will be the fourth competitive meeting between Aston Villa and Club Brugge.
The sides first met during the 2024/25 Champions League league phase, when Brugge recorded a 1-0 victory over Villa in Belgium.
Emery’s team got their revenge when the clubs were reunited in the round of 16 later that season.
Villa produced an impressive 3-1 victory at the Jan Breydelstadion before completing the job with a dominant 3-0 win at Villa Park.
That gives Villa two victories from the previous three meetings, with the current TNT Sports Club Brugge vs Aston Villa match centre also showing the recent head-to-head advantage in Emery’s favour.
Champions League offers Aston Villa chance to reset
The timing of Villa’s European return could prove significant.
Emery’s side have endured a difficult opening to their Premier League campaign and remain without a league goal after three matches.
However, Tuesday provides an immediate opportunity to change the mood.
Villa will then return to domestic action against Nottingham Forest at Villa Park, with the rest of the upcoming programme available through our Aston Villa fixtures and results hub.
A victory in Bruges would therefore do more than put three Champions League points on the board.
It could provide the confidence Emery’s rebuilt attack desperately needs.
