Supercomputer predicts outcome of Aston Villa's Champions League clash vs Club Brugge

Aston Villa will be looking to put their domestic struggles aside when they kick off their Champions League campaign away at Club Brugge.

The Villans have so far taken just one point from the first nine on offer in the Premier League.

A goalless draw at Hull City on the weekend did at least stop the rot following defeats to Brighton and Arsenal.

The Champions League provides a welcome respite for Unai Emery and his players as they look to build on last season's Europa League triumph.

A clash away at the reigning Belgian champions is a tough way for Villa to kick things off.

But these are exactly the type of games Villa know they need to perform well in if they are to advance to the knockout rounds.

What is predicted to happen in Club Brugge vs Aston Villa?

Brugge finished 19th in last season's league phase, before being eliminated over two legs by Atletico Madrid in the last 32.

The Belgian side have scored in 25 successive games in all competitions stretching back into last season.

Keeping Ivan Leko's side quiet will certainly be difficult, then, while at the other end Villa are without a goal of their own in 315 minutes.

But Villa were strong on their travels in Europe last season, as they won five and lost just two of their seven Europa League away games.

It is perhaps not surprising in that case that Opta's supercomputer has Villa as slight favourites for Tuesday night's clash.

The Villans are given a 38.9 per cent chance of coming away with all three points, compared to 35.5 per cent for their opponents.

The draw is given a 25.6 per cent likelihood of happening at Jan Breydel Stadium.

What happened the last time the sides met?

It has not been long at all since Villa last faced Brugge, doing so in a Champions League last-16 tie just last year.

Villa won the tie 6-1 on aggregate, with a 3-0 win at Villa Park in the second leg rounding off a straightforward win.

Brugge are not exactly a force on home soil as they won only two of their five such European games last season.

On that basis, there is no reason why Villa cannot come away from Brugge with maximum points to give their campaign a much-needed kickstart.