Young Boys and Bayern Munich to open Aston Villa’s Champions League campaign

The visit of the German giants will take place on Wednesday, October 2 (kick-off 8pm), on what promises to be a night to remember at Villa Park as the club make their return to Europe’s elite club competition.

Prior to that, Villa begin the group stage in Switzerland with a trip to face Young Boys on Tuesday, September 17 (kick-off 5.45pm).

Unai Emery’s men will play eight matches in total in the expanded group stage, with the last of them at home when they host Celtic on Wednesday, January 29 (8pm).

Juventus, the last team Villa faced in the European Cup in 1983, visit Villa Park on Wednesday, November 27, with a home tie against Bologna taking place on Tuesday, October 22 (both 8pm).

Villa visit Belgium after that tie to take on Club Brugge on Wednesday, November 6 (5.45pm), with further away matches at RB Leipzig on Tuesday, December 10 (8pm) and Monaco on Tuesday, January 21 (5.45pm).

The match against Bayern, who Villa famously beat 1-0 in the 1982 final, is the most eye-catching of the club’s group stage fixtures.

Speaking ahead of the schedule being confirmed on Saturday, boss Emery said: "When the matches against Bayern Munich, Juventus, Bologna and Celtic come, of course we will be excited and those matches will be special moments for the supporters,” he said.

"And why? Because here at Aston Villa they won the European Cup and they won the final against Bayern Munich. It is always in our memories that moment.

"We want to write a new history now and create and build something here in this moment. When they won the Champions League, a lot of people are now not here with us.

“A lot of people they were very young, even Prince William wasn't born! We are very proud of him supporting us and being with us.

"Bayern Munich is maybe the first time we started something for a lot of Aston Villa supporters."