Aston Villa will continue their Champions League journey with a match against Club Brugge in the last 16.
Villa have performed well in Europe's premier club tournament this season, securing the eighth spot in the League Phase and advancing directly to the round of 16.
They will now face Belgian champions Club Brugge in a two-legged tie. Club Brugge defeated Atalanta 5-2 on aggregate in the play-off round after finishing 24th in the league table.
In their previous encounter, an unfortunate mistake from Tyrone Mings led to Club Brugge's 1-0 victory. The Villa defender unknowingly handled the ball in the penalty area, conceding a spot-kick which was converted by Hans Vanaken.
Team news
Raphael Onyedika and Bjorn Meier are expected to be sidelined for the hosts due to ongoing injuries.
Boubacar Kamara is nearing a return for Villa, but Tyrone Mings, Matty Cash, Pau Torres, Amadou Onana, and Ross Barkley remain unavailable.
Andres Garcia and Donyell Malen are ineligible to play for Unai Emery's team.
The stats
Villa secured victories in five out of eight games in the initial stage, defeating Young Boys, Bayern Munich, Bologna, RB Leipzig, and Celtic. They suffered losses against Club Brugge and Monaco, with a draw against Juventus.
Brugge achieved wins against Sturm Graz, Villa, and Sporting Lisbon in the League Phase, while drawing with Juventus and Celtic, and losing to Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, and AC Milan.
Club Brugge won three out of five home games in the Champions League this season.
Villa have faced three consecutive defeats in their recent away matches in all competitions.
The victor of this fixture will meet either Paris Saint-Germain or Liverpool in the quarter-finals.
Prediction
Villa only suffered two losses in the league phase, one of which was against Club Brugge away. Despite this, they have the opportunity to rectify that defeat and secure a positive outcome in this last-16 first leg.
Although their away form has been concerning with three consecutive losses and just one win in their last seven away games across all competitions, Villa is expected to display a more solid performance in what could be their most crucial away match of the season.
Club Brugge impressed with their victory over Serie A team Atalanta in the play-off round, but their qualification to the last 16 was by a narrow margin and is likely to halt at this stage of the competition.
Emery's squad has already created memorable moments in this season's Champions League, and Villa's return to top European competition for the first time since 1983 has been a highlight. Another remarkable performance could be on the cards for them on Tuesday.