Aston Villa are preparing for their first Champions League home match as Bayern Munich visit Villa Park.
It promises to be a mouth-watering showdown in the Champions League as a repeat of the 1982 European Cup final takes centre stage.
Aston Villa prevailed as winners on that day but Bayern Munich are the favourites heading into this clash, with the Bavarians seasoned veterans in this competition.
Unai Emery’s men were 3-0 victors in their first match in Europe’s elite competition with a 3-0 win over Young Boys but this is a completely different level, especially if Harry Kane is fit enough to start.
Villa will be desperate to pull off a famous win in front of a raucous Villa Park crowd and ahead of the match, Bayern boss Vincent Kompany has pinpointed areas that make the hosts ‘so dangerous’.
Vincent Kompany compares Aston Villa to Bayer Leverkusen
Bayern recently dropped points against the Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, as Kompany’s men were held to a 1-1 draw.
Under the guidance of Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen have become a force to be reckoned with as their fluid style and attacking style has helped them overhaul Bayern in Germany’s top flight.
Although Alonso’s men currently sit three points off the pacesetters, with Bayern leading the way, they are expected to challenge for another Bundesliga title.
Meanwhile, in his pre-match interview, Kompany compared their opponents to Bayer Leverkusen when citing what makes Aston Villa ‘so dangerous’.
As per journalist Jacob Tanswell, Kompany said: “Everything Aston Villa does is very clear. You can see what they want to achieve at every stage of the game. They’re very compact between the lines, very little space, similar to Leverkusen. They’re dangerous on the counter-attack and get behind the defence.”
Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers vs Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich will attempt to come to Villa Park and dictate the flow of the game. That is completely fine with the hosts, who can cause huge threats on the counterattack.
Villa’s system is built to hit teams in the transition, with the likes of Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins set to play a vital role, as both can run in behind and catch their high line out.
Kompany has already acknowledged the danger Villa pose on the counter however, after committing bodies forward, it’s easier said than done stopping Emery’s plan.
Previously, Emery has produced a masterclass on two occasions against Bayern; once at PSG in a 3-0 win in 2017 and the other at Villarreal, where they advanced into the Champions League semi-finals after winning 2-1 on aggregate.
Bayern have a different manager from the last two times the Spaniard secured victory in this competition however, the principles remain the same and he can use his success at Villarreal as further inspiration.
