Aston Villa Beat Club Brugge 3-1 To Maintain Edge In Champions League Tie

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Aston Villa won the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday 3-1 away at Club Brugge in Belgium thanks to two late goals, including a Marco Asensio penalty.

Leon Bailey’s early opener was canceled by a Maxim De Cuyper strike for the hosts, but the scores remained level going into the closing stages.

At the Jan Breydelstadion, Villa had a better match than their Premier League rivals, but Brandon Mechele’s 82nd-minute own goal gave them a new lead.

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In the 88th minute, Asensio scored his fifth goal in four games to put the 1982 European Cup winners in a strong position to advance to the quarter-finals, scoring first as a substitute.

A mouthwatering quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain or Liverpool will be the reward if Unai Emery’s team can succeed at Villa Park on Wednesday.

On March 4, 2025, Club Brugge KV and Aston Villa FC played a first leg football match between Club Brugge KV and Aston Villa FC at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges. Aston Villa’s Spanish forward #21 Marco Asensio (R) celebrates after Club Brugge’s Belgian defender #44 Brandon Mechele (down, L) scored an own goal. (Photo by AFP/NICOLAS TUCAT)

After finishing eighth in the league phase, Villa qualified for this stage, but they lost 1-0 in Bruges in early November.

After Tyrone Mings obtusely picked the ball up in his own area, Hans Vanaken scored the winning penalty.

Mings, an England centre-back, will be pleased to have assisted in the third-minute goal, which gave Villa the lead in the same penalty box.

With a controlled first-time finish past goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, he met a free-kick into the Brugge area and was awarded a goal.

Club Brugge have shown this season that they can compete at this level, most recently defeating Atalanta, who won the Europa League last year, 5-2 on aggregate in the play-off round last month.

Rashford is ineffective.

On March 4, 2025, Aston Villa’s English international #9 Marcus Rashford watches the ball during the first leg of the UEFA Champions League 16 match between Club Brugge KV and Aston Villa FC at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges. (Photo by AFP/NICOLAS TUCAT)

Soon, the hosts reached level. Greek international Christos Tzolis returned the ball to De Cuyper, who had just left to send a first-time shot past Emiliano Martinez and into the far corner.

The hosts almost won. The ball broke inside the area thanks to Martinez’s crucial save to deny Chemsdine Talbi.

Unai Emery, the manager of Villa, attempted a powerful strike from close range early in the second half, but just before the hour a quadruple substitution made a quick change.

In his first Champions League game since receiving a 4-3 defeat against Manchester United in Copenhagen in November 2023, Rashford was quiet on the left wing and made the comeback.

Asensio, another winter signing for Villa, started on the bench despite his excellent recent form.

Mignolet saved the on-loan PSG player after he received an assist from fellow substitute Jacob Ramsey, who almost struck on 68 minutes.

The 1978 European Cup winner, Club Brugge, also had the chance to take the lead. Captain Vanaken misfired a great chance for the Greek winger when he headed narrowly wide from a Tzolis cross.

The unfortunate Mechele turned a Morgan Rogers cross into his own net to give Brugge the opportunity to lose by two goals.