Aston Villa are gearing up to host Champions League football at Villa Park – a world away from where the club was just six years ago.
The Villans are competing with the elite in European football, after securing a top four finish last season, but back in 2018 things could not have been more different.
Bruce had a cabbage launched at him in his final game as Villa boss
Back then, Steve Bruce was the manager and the club were scrapping it out as a mid-table Championship side.
On October 2, a blockbuster six-goal thriller with Preston became infamous for an entirely different reason.
A frustrated Villa fan launched a cabbage at Bruce before the match. Luckily it missed the ex-Man United defender, but he did not last in the dugout much longer.
After the bizarre incident, Bruce said: “To say it’s disappointing is an understatement for a club like this. It was before we had even started, too.
“I find the whole thing hugely disrespectful. Unfortunately, it sums up the society we are in at the moment. There’s no respect for anyone.”
The 3-3 draw was not enough to save Bruce’s job and he was sacked the very next day.
He was replaced by Dean Smith and that proved to be the right call – as he led them to promotion back to the Premier League via the Championship Play-Offs.
Fast forward exactly six years and Villa are gearing up to host their first Champions League match since a quarter-final against Juventus in 1983.
European juggernauts Bayern Munich are in town, in a repeat of the 1982 final which Villa won, who are fronted by a familiar foe in Harry Kane.
The former Tottenham man has faced them 13 times, winning on nine occasions and scoring eight goals.
Kane is out to score more goals against Aston VillaGetty
Aston Villa XI vs Preston – Oct 2, 2018
GK – M Bunn
DEF – A Tuanzebe
DEF – J Chester – (Sent off – 54mins)
DEF – A Hutton
DEF – A Elmohamady
MID – J McGinn
MID – J Grealish
MID – C Hourihane (sub – 83mins)
MID – B Bjarnason
FOR – T Abraham (sub – 56mins)
FOR – Johathan Kodjia (sub – 74mins)
SUB – J Bree – 56mins
SUB – Y Bolasie – 74mins
SUB – G Whelan – 83 Minutes
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, who has experience of beating Bayern in the Champions League while manager of Paris St Germain and Villarreal, says his side are the underdogs.
“We are very happy to face Bayern here at home and hopefully we can enjoy tomorrow and we can compete and show our best,” he said.
“It is a special, special match for everyone.
“When it’s a new competition we are motivated and so excited to play tomorrow with our supporters in Villa Park. Remembering as well the final that Villa played against them 42 years ago.
“Now at this moment in our process we have to try to play one match more. Of course it’s against one of the best teams in the world and the favourite with three or four others to win this competition.
“We are very motivated coming back to Europe last year, with Aston Villa not playing Bayern Munich since 40 years ago.
“I think Europe is something very, very important and very, very difficult. This is the challenge we have now.
Emery has guided Villa back into Europe’s elite competitionGetty
“Tomorrow they are favourites, much bigger favourites than us. Tomorrow I want to compete against them.”
Emery will be taking charge of his 188th European match overall while it will be just the second in the Champions League for opposite number Vincent Kompany.
