Aston Villa is commanded by the Champions League in the last-16 draw with Club Brugge after an embarrassment of self-destruction from the Belgian side that gave Unai Emery men a first-foot victory.
Villa had taken the lead through Leon Bailey’s third minute, only for the reigning Belgian champions to respond nine minutes later via Maxim de Cuyper.
Having torn Atalanta in addition to the playoff round, Brugge continued to superiority after leveling issues and rejected a multiple chance of taking the lead at Villa Park next week.
But the kings Belgian champions now have everything to do after Brandon Mechele put in his own net and Marco Asensio converted a penalty to put the villa on Wednesday’s lip with Liverpool or Paris.
The villa leads 3-1 away to Brugge !! ⚡️⚡
Replace Marco Asensio Nets and puts Aston Villa in a great position in the tie … 🙌
📺 Watch the Champions League live @tntsports & @DiscoveryPlusuk pic.twitter.com/xrag5kezw0
– Football at TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 4 2025
Club Brugge vs Aston Villa
Villa scored from the first chance of the game, as Bailey met with Tyrone Mings’s Knockdown from the free kick of youi Tielemans with a wonderful first finish beyond Simon Mignolet and in the lower right corner.
Marcus Rashford was subsequently rejected by Mignolet, as Villa tried to double their advantage, but soon connected back, with goalkeeper Emi Martinez maybe fault.
Christos Tzolis gathered the ball to the left and had the time and space to choose De Cuyper, whose left foot shot had enough to defeat Martinez’s stretched hand.
Martinez acquired himself with a fine depreciation from Chemsdine Talbi to maintain the exchange rate as Brugge grew up in confidence before halftime.
A frustrated UNAI EMERY made four changes in the 64th minute in an attempt to return the momentum and only Mignolet reflexes prevented one of the villa substitutes, Matty Cash, to put them back forward.
But Brugge continued to dictate the procedures, with Hans Vanaken seeing a distant header somehow dragging before Tzolis hitting high, wide and not very beautiful as he played clean through the goal.
Brugge finally paid the price for their curtain, as Mechele showed a much higher peak, though in the wrong end.
His goal !! 🫣
Disaster for Mechele and Brugge, as Aston Villa takes the lead away from home! 💥
📺 Watch the Champions League live @tntsports & @DiscoveryPlusuk pic.twitter.com/0tlbxla9O3
– Football at TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 4 2025
Inadvertently he turned the brilliant cross of Morgan Rogers beyond a desperate Mignolet in the 82nd minute.
The worst was to come six minutes later, when Asensio shot in the lower left corner from 12 meters after Tzolis brought the cash with a clumsy challenge.
Crestfallen from their delayed collapse, Brugge had the opportunity to restore the balance of injury time. However, replacement Hugo Vetlesen summed up a frustrating night for the hosts when he ran to ensure that Villa returns to Midlands with a potentially decisive two goals.
