Aston Villa is on the verge of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals after a decisive win against Club Brugge, highlighted by a costly error from Brugge’s defender Brandon Mechele.
Mechele, wearing a face mask for protection, inadvertently deflected Morgan Rogers’ cross past goalkeeper Simon Mignolet in the 82nd minute, handing Villa a 2-1 advantage.
Unai Emery’s squad extended their lead just six minutes later when Christos Tzolis fouled Matty Cash in the penalty area.
Marco Asensio, coming off the bench, calmly converted the penalty, marking his fifth goal for Villa and increasing Brugge’s woes in their home city.
Aston Villa now holds a significant advantage heading into the second leg at Villa Park. Barring a major upset at home, they are set to face either Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.
The team effectively managed the intense atmosphere at Jan Breydelstadion and will be eager to play the return match on their home ground, where they have remained undefeated in their last 14 games. Asensio’s current scoring form further boosts their confidence.
Villa started strongly, taking the lead within the first three minutes. A straightforward play saw Youri Tielemans deliver a long free-kick into Brugge’s box, where Tyrone Mings headed the ball down.
Leon Bailey was well-positioned to capitalize, striking a well-placed left-footed volley past Mignolet into the net.
This early goal provided Villa with an ideal start, establishing control in the match.
However, Brugge responded quickly. Just three minutes after Villa’s opener, they exploited vulnerabilities in Villa’s defense to equalize.
Ardon Jashari, with space in midfield, sent a sweeping pass to Christos Tzolis, who outmaneuvered Axel Disasi before passing to Maxim De Cuyper. De Cuyper then scored past Emi Martinez, leveling the score.
The equalizer ignited the home crowd at Jan Breydelstadion.
Despite conceding, Villa’s defense faced further scrutiny as they failed to effectively counter De Cuyper’s run and the initial pass.
After the initial flurry of goals, both teams became more cautious, leading to a tighter midfield battle.
Villa managed to reach halftime with the score level, largely thanks to a crucial save from Emi Martinez. Martinez showcased his reflexes, denying Chemsdine Talbi’s well-directed shot just past the half-hour mark.
The match remained tense and closely contested, with Unai Emery visibly animated on the sidelines.
In the second half, with the game still tied and over an hour played, Emery made a strategic quadruple substitution, introducing Matty Cash, Jacob Ramsey, Boubacar Kamara, and Marco Asensio, replacing Disasi, Rashford, Bailey, and McGinn.
This substitution had an immediate impact. Asensio nearly scored shortly after coming on, forcing a save from Mignolet. The rebound fell to Cash, but his shot went over the bar.
Brugge also had opportunities, with Vanaken narrowly missing a header and Tzolis shooting wide, failing to capitalize on set-up plays.
