From cabbage to Champions League as Aston Villa vs Bayern Munich put into new perspective

Aston Villa welcome Bayern Munich to Villa Park in the Champions League six years to the day since a cabbage was thrown at Steve Bruce

As Aston Villa welcome Bayern Munich to Villa Park for a grand Champions League occasion, it's six years to the day since a cabbage was aimed in the direction of former manager Steve Bruce.

Six years since the cabbage had been sneaked into the ground. Six years since Glenn Whelan missed his penalty against Preston North End in the 3-3 draw. Six years since the result which broke the camel's back and ended Bruce's reign. It wasn't without insult added to injury.

At that stage, Villa - under new owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens - had won three of their opening 11 league games and were sitting in 12th in the second tier. The picture has changed unreservedly since, needless to say.

The pressure was beginning to mount for Bruce long before so-called cabbage-gate and, after failing to see off North End, enough was enough - for Bruce and the cabbage, our former Villa writer Ash Preece reflected.

Villa were on an alarming slide. After the bizarre veg lob, Villa raced into a 2-0 lead at half time thanks to goals from Jonathan Kodjia and Tammy Abraham. Preston pegged Villa back after James Chester was given a 54th-minute red card for a foul on Lukas Nmecha before ex-Villa academy star Daniel Johnson rolled home a penalty to reduce the deficit.

North End's Paul Gallagher then notched an equaliser before striker Louis Moult completed the comeback as Bruce's Villa collapsed. Yannick Bolasie, though, grabbed a last-gasp equaliser before Glenn Whelan stepped up to miss a 97th-minute penalty in what was a truly bonkers game on and off the pitch. The 3-3 result wasn't enough, though, and boos and chants rang around Villa Park calling for Bruce to leave.

Just hours after cabbage-gate and that eventful 3-3 draw, Bruce was sacked by Aston Villa after winning just one of nine Championship matches. Bruce's back-room staff of Colin Calderwood, Steve Agnew, Stephen Clemence and Gary Walsh also departed with Kevin MacDonald placed in caretaker charge of the Millwall game four days later before Dean Smith was appointed on October 10.

Bruce won 46, drew 25 and lost 31 of his 102 games in charge of Villa after taking over from Roberto Di Matteo in October 2016.

Fast forward to now, and Villa are welcoming the creme de la creme to B6. Things, under Unai Emery, couldn't be further from that night which proved to be fateful in more ways than one.