It must be, and it is – it’s Bayern Munich!
Villa have been handed a tantalizing re-run of the club’s finest hour in the draw for the league phase of the Champions League.
The match against the German giants at Villa Park will undoubtedly rekindle memories of Rotterdam in the 1982 European Cup final, when Peter Withe’s 67th-minute goal secured a never-to-be forgotten triumph.
It was a night when Tony Barton’s team were given little chance of victory, and even less when goalkeeper Jimmy Rimmer went off with a neck injury after just nine minutes.
But substitute Nigel Spink, playing only his second game, made save after save to deny Bayern’s multi-talented team. And then Withe converted Tony Morley’s cross for a winner which prompted Brian Moore’s immortal “It must be” commentary on ITV.
The Champions League draw has also given Villa another mouthwatering home fixture against Juventus – the last club we faced in the European Cup.
The Italians, who were described as “a World Cup team thinly described as a club side” knocked us out in the quarter-final in March 1983 after we had progressed against Besiktas and Dinamo Bucharest.
Despite Gordon Cowans’ flying header for a 51st minute equaliser, Villa lost a compelling first leg 2-1 on home soil and could manage no more than a late consolation effort from Withe as Juve won the return leg 3-1 in Turin.
At least Villa took a revenge of sorts in 2009, beating the Italians on penalties in the final of the pre-season Peace Cup in Spain.
As for our other opponents, Unai Emery’s men will be treading new ground against RB Leipzig, Club Brugge, Celtic, Bologna and Monaco.
