Young Boys vs Aston Villa

Stadion Wankdrof sets the stage for an exciting UEFA Champions League encounter between Young Boys and Aston Villa.

Young Boys defied the odds in their Champions League qualification playoff tie against Galatasaray, beating the Turkish heavyweights in both legs to make history. The Swiss outfit has secured back-to-back appearances in the Champions League proper for the first time. They will take the field in high spirits after stringing together a seven-game unbeaten streak in competitive action (W4, D3). However, Patrick Rahmen’s men have suffered four defeats across their last seven European matches on home soil (W3) – as many losses as in their 21 previous fixtures at the Stadion Wankdorf. They’ll unlikely improve that paltry home record if you consider they sit rock-bottom in the Swiss Super League after going winless in the opening six rounds (D3, L3).

Meanwhile, Aston Villa’s maiden appearance in the Champions League proper comes at an opportune moment for Unai Emery’s side after overhauling a 2-0 deficit to beat Everton 3-2 at home over the weekend. That victory made it three wins from the opening four Premier League matches for the East Midlands club (L1), setting them up nicely for this trip. But the Lions have never won on Swiss soil, going winless in both previous visits to the country (D1, L1). As if that’s not concerning enough, Emery’s men have performed in patches on their recent European travels, racking up just two wins across their last 11 continental games on foreign soil (D3, L6). There’s a chance they could turn their fortunes around following back-to-back 2-1 away triumphs at the start of their domestic league campaign.