Champions League Preview: Young Boys vs Aston Villa - Analysis and Insights

The newest edition of the UEFA Champions League kicks off, with the first gameweek of the season taking place over Tuesday and Wednesday evening this week.

Swiss Champions Young Boys and last season’s surprise packages in the Premier League Aston Villa are set to kick off their respective campaigns against each other in Tuesday’s early kick off. This will be the first ever competitive meeting between the two sides, and it will certainly be a game full of intrigue.

As the highly anticipated launch of this season’s UCL edges closer, we take a closer look at both sides, investigating lineups, team news, key players and absences that could decide the final score.

Young Boys vs Aston Villa League Standings

Reigning Swiss Champions Young Boys are typically the dominant force of Swiss football in the modern era, having won the Swiss Super League in six of the last seven seasons. However, their 2024/25 season has so far not gone according to plan.

Young Boys have won 6 of the last 7 Swiss Super League titles. After stunning Galatasaray they'll play in the Champions League Group/League phase for only the fourth time, despite not winning a league game this season!

They play in the capital Bern at Stadion Wankdorf (32,000). pic.twitter.com/9Qw0KBEdXc

— The European Football Express (@TheEuroFE) September 14, 2024

Astonishingly, they sit at the foot of the table after six games played with a total of just three points, and zero games won.

They lost their opening three league games for the first time in their history, falling to Sion 2-1, Servette 3-1, and St. Gallen 4-0, and then drew the following three, 2-2 against both Zurich and Yverdon-Sport, and 1-1 to Lausanne. Across these six games, Young Boys have received three red cards, a clear exhibition of the frustration they are currently feeling with their league campaign.

However, while their league form has been far from impressive, Young Boys appear to be a different team when put in a cup clash. They narrowly beat Galatasaray in both legs of their play-off tie, 3-2 and 1-0 respectively, to qualify for the newly implemented League phase (we will go into this later), while they have also advanced to the round of 16 in the Schweizer cup.

Beating Printse-Nendaz 10-0 in the first round, and Vevey-Sports 4-2, Young Boys have certainly shown they have the quality to surprise people in the Champions League, but it will all depend on which version of the side turns up against Aston Villa: domestic league Young Boys, or cup competition Young Boys.

Aston Villa have been having no such problems in the league, and come into this game against the Swiss side after a morale boosting 3-2 comeback win against Everton, complete with a Jhon Duran Puskas Award contender.

🇨🇴🚀 Jhon Durán (20) with an INSANE strike for Aston Villa vs. Everton! 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/2gaZ3Tn9yZ

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) September 14, 2024

Sitting on nine points after four games, Aston Villa’s start to the season has gone as many expected, as they picked up wins against West Ham, Leicester City and Everton while falling to a defeat against title contenders Arsenal.

Currently sitting 3rd before Sunday’s Premier League games, Villa will be content with how they have started, and will be smelling blood ahead of their next four league games, in which they play Wolves, Ipswich, Man United and Fulham, all very beatable in their current form.

Set to play in their first Champions League campaign since the 1982/83 season, Aston Villa will enter it knowing they are a good enough team to reach the knockout stages, and they are not there just to make up the numbers.

With a talented squad and equally talented manager, the Villans will have high expectations during their European campaign, and by starting off against a struggling Young Boys, they have a great opportunity to start as they mean to continue.

Young Boys vs Aston Villa Team News

While Young Boys suffered their fair share of injuries early in their league campaign, all of these casualties have returned to fitness, and Young Boys will have a complete squad to pick from.

Aston Villa have not been so lucky, as they lost £50 million signing Amadou Onana at half time in the win over Everton after a collision late in the first half. While the injury did not look serious, Unai Emery will not want to risk the fitness of one of his key players, and will likely leave him out in order to have him back for their upcoming league games.

Amadou Onana’s reaction to Duran’s banger of a goal, I think this was all of us. 😳😅pic.twitter.com/DdKlxzt2Ox

— Soccer Forever (@soccerforeverhq) September 14, 2024

Villa are also without Matty Cash, who sustained a hamstring injury in the defeat to Arsenal, and he is set to be out until at least the end of september.

Young Boys vs Aston Villa Predicted Lineups

• Young Boys (4-4-2): Von Ballmoos (GK), Blum, Camara, Zoukrou, Hadjam, Monteiro, Niasse, Lauper, Colley, Ganvoula, Ugrinic.
• Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez (GK), Konsa, Torres, Carlos, Maatsen, Barkley, Tielemans, McGinn, Rodgers, Duran, Watkins.

Young Boys vs Aston Villa Player to Watch

This may seem like an unusual choice, but this is the sort of game in which I believe John McGinn will come into his own.

A tough, no nonsense character who loves a big challenge, McGinn particularly enjoys physical games against a lesser opposition who will do anything to get the upper hand. A survivor from the Villa team promoted from the Championship in 2019, the Scot has gone from strength to strength in the Premier League, and is now one of the first names on the Villa team sheet.

This John McGinn volley still has us 🤤🤤🤤

What do you rate this out of 10? pic.twitter.com/kQoQvghCCa

— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) April 4, 2020

Against a Young Boys team that has so far been frustrated by poor league form, they are likely to give this match everything and then some, just how McGinn likes it. If there is any on-field controversy, you can bet your bottom dollar that he will be at the center of it, providing that little bit of fire that every side needs in the midfield, particularly on high stakes European nights.

With his crunching tackles, defensive work rate and talent with the ball at his feet, McGinn’s versatility and commitment could be the deciding factor of this game. Whatever you do, don’t take your eyes off him.

Where can I watch Young Boys vs Aston Villa?

Coverage of the game will be broadcasted both on TNT Sports 1 and Discovery+, while text commentary will be available on BBC Sport and Sky Sports Football.

How does the UCL League Phase work?

With the old system of eight groups containing for teams being dispensed with after last season, UEFA have opted for a layout that can fit an extra four teams in.

There will be 36 teams taking part in the league phase of UCL this season, each playing eight games each. Their games will be made up of two teams from pots 1, 2, 3 and 4, with the one being the highest quality of opposition and four being the lowest.

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League league phase fixtures are set 🔒 pic.twitter.com/cefd30vz6W

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) August 29, 2024

The teams who finish in the top eight in the league system will automatically qualify for the round of 16, while the teams that finish 9th to 24th will enter into a two legged knockout play-off round, with the winners of these fixtures entering into the remaining eight spots in the last 16.

Those who finish in 25th or lower will be knocked out of the competition.

From here, the layout is the same as in previous years, with two legged ties in the last 16, quarter finals and semi finals, with the final set to be a one legged showpiece game held at a neutral venue, set to be played out at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena.