Club Brugge boss says 'almost perfect' performance needed to beat Aston Villa

Boss Ivan Leko reckons Club Brugge must be “almost perfect” to spring another Champions League surprise against Villa.

Brugge stunned Villa by winning 1-0 at the Jan Breydelstadion in the group stage two seasons ago, though the Premier League club exacted revenge later in the competition with a 6-1 aggregate victory in the last-16.

They meet again in Belgium on Tuesday night, with both having undergone significant squad overhauls during the recent transfer window.

While Villa lost key players like Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Morgan Rogers, Brugge sold Christos Tzolis to Arsenal.

Leko believes the changes add a layer of uncertainty to the match but believes his team remain firm underdogs.

“We know we need to be very good to compete with them,” he said. “We know we need to be almost perfect to win. Those are moments of which we are aware.

“When you play against big opponents, big teams in big competition, it is a chance to see where you are.

“We are excited, the players, the staff, the board and supporters.

“We know we are not at our best level. It would not be normal if you could be after two to three weeks and everything which happened in the transfer period.

“In one moment I don’t think form is important. When players hear the song of the Champions League and the feeling of the stadium, you forget your last game.

“You know it is time to be on full gas, to compete with the best. I am confident and excited.”

Brugge have reached the knockout stages in each of the last two seasons and boast a particularly strong home record, with Arsenal the only team to beat them on their own patch last term.

Their goal, once again, will be finishing in the top-24 but Leko refused to get involved in talk of how many points will be needed from the eight league phase matches.

“In football there is no time and space for calculation,” he said.

“There is only one thing, which is to take the next game like it is your final, try to do your best.

“Show yourself, show your team and your country. Try to do the best and then at the end, after eight games, we will see how good we were and whether the points were enough for our objectives.”