Ollie Watkins exclusive: Aston Villa's UEFA Champions League clash with Bayern Munich will be 'most special occasion'

Aston Villa are playing in Europe's elite club competition for the first time in 41 years, and after beating Young Boys 3-0 in their opening fixture, they are preparing to host Bayern Munich at Villa Park. Unai Emery's side are hoping to recreate one of the club's most famous wins, when they beat the German side to win the 1982 European Cup final. Watch the match on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Ollie Watkins says Aston Villa’s latest European outing will be the “most special” as Unai Emery’s class of 2024/25 try to recreate one of the club’s most famous results.

On 26 May 1982, Peter Withe scored the only goal of the game at De Kuip in Rotterdam as Villa beat Bayern Munich to lift the European Cup in their debut season at the top table of club football on the continent.

Forty-two years later and it is the German giants who visit Villa Park as the famous old ground plays host to Europe’s elite competition for the first time in more than four decades.

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Villa have played European football since – including in last year’s UEFA Europa League – but Watkins knows the magnitude of what they face this season is on another level.

Emery’s side started their campaign with an impressive 3-0 win in Switzerland against Young Boys.

Now, they face the challenge of Bayern, and speaking to TNT Sports, Watkins said the match will have an extra edge to it.

“We played in Europe last year and had the semi-final against Olympiacos, but I think this probably tops it," he said.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

“Champions League is the very top and what we’ve fought for a long time so I think this is probably the most special occasion so far.

“When I arrived at Villa, people were saying it’s a sleeping giant and I didn’t realise how big the club is, and until you’re here and hear the history of it, you don’t really experience it.

“The last few years we’ve been on the up and the club’s getting back to, hopefully, where it was before.

“Everyone’s going to just try and enjoy the moment and do all we can to get the club back to where it belongs to be."

Ten years ago, Watkins was getting ready to go on loan to Weston-super-Mare, where he played non-league football until he was able to impress Exeter enough for a crack at the football league.

His rise in Devon led to him making the move to Brentford before his achievements in west London earned him a transfer to Villa Park and subsequent international recognition from England.

Reflecting on his journey, Watkins said: “To be honest, I’ve always taken it game-by-game and step-by-step. I didn’t look too far ahead. I dreamt of it before when I was younger, but I didn’t think I’d ever achieve it. 

“It’s nice that I’ve actually made it here and playing in the Champions League, but obviously I’ve put in a lot of hard work to get to this point, so I’m just going to enjoy it.

“When I look back, my journey is a bit different to some of the other boys who’ve come through top academies. Playing non-league, playing in front of 100 fans, 50 fans, I’ve seen it all. Now I’m playing in the best of the best and it’s what I’ve worked hard for.”

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Although Villa scored three goals in their Champions League opener, Watkins was not on the scoresheet in Switzerland, even though he did find the net. His effort was ruled out for an apparent handball.

Assessing his European targets, Watkins said: “I’m not putting too much pressure on myself saying, ‘I need to score this amount of goals in the Champions League'. 

“It’s more just about winning. I think with this new format it’s like every game’s a final really. I’m just thinking about doing my best, performing the best I can to help the team win and seeing where that gets me."

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TNT Sports will show over 500 matches from the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League across the 2024/25 season. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.

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