Aston Villa have command of their Champions League last-16 tie with Membership Brugge after a bewildering self-destruction from the Belgian facet handed Unai Emery’s males a 3-1 first-leg victory.
Villa had taken the lead by means of Leon Bailey’s third-minute effort, just for the reigning Belgian champions to reply 9 minutes later by means of Maxim De Cuyper.
Having torn Atalanta aside within the playoff spherical, Brugge continued within the ascendancy after levelling issues and spurned a number of possibilities to take a result in Villa Park subsequent week.
However the reigning Belgian champions now have all of it to do after Brandon Mechele put by means of his personal web and Marco Asensio confidently transformed a penalty to place Villa on the point of the a quarter-final tie with Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain.
Villa lead 3-1 AWAY in Brugge!! ⚡️⚡️
Substitute Marco Asensio nets and places Aston Villa in a GREAT place within the tie… 🙌
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— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) March 4, 2025
Membership Brugge vs Aston Villa
Villa scored from the sport’s first alternative as Bailey met Tyrone Mings’ knockdown from Youri Tielemans’ free-kick with an excellent first-time end past Simon Mignolet and into the bottom-right nook.
Marcus Rashford was then denied by Mignolet as Villa sought to double their benefit, however they have been quickly pegged again, with goalkeeper Emi Martinez maybe at fault.
Christos Tzolis collected the ball broad on the left and had the time and house to pick De Cuyper, whose left-foot shot had sufficient to beat Martinez’ outstretched hand.
Martinez redeemed himself with a wonderful close-range save from Chemsdine Talbi to protect parity as Brugge grew in confidence earlier than half-time.
A annoyed Unai Emery made 4 adjustments within the sixty fourth minute in a bid to wrest again the momentum, and solely the reflexes of Mignolet prevented considered one of Villa’s substitutes, Matty Money, from placing them again in entrance.
However Brugge continued to dictate proceedings, with Hans Vanaken seeing a far-post header someway drift broad earlier than Tzolis blasted excessive, broad and never very good-looking after being performed clear by means of on purpose.
Brugge in the end paid the value for his or her profligacy as Mechele confirmed a lot larger innovative, albeit on the fallacious finish.
OWN GOAL!! 🫣
Catastrophe for Mechele and Brugge, as Aston Villa take the lead away from residence! 💥
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— Soccer on TNT Sports activities (@footballontnt) March 4, 2025
He inadvertently turned Morgan Rogers’ good cross past a despairing Mignolet within the 82nd minute.
Worse was to return six minutes later when Asensio fired into the bottom-left nook from 12 yards after Tzolis introduced down Money with a slipshod problem.
Crestfallen by their late collapse, Brugge did have a possibility to redress the stability in damage time. Nevertheless, substitute Hugo Vetlesen summed up a dispiriting night for the hosts when he blazed over to make sure Villa will head again to the Midlands with a probably decisive two-goal benefit.
