Aston Villa’s Jamaican ahead #31 Leon Bailey (left) celebrates after scoring the opening purpose in the course of the UEFA Champions League spherical of 16 first leg soccer match between Membership Brugge KV and Aston Villa FC on the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, on March 4, 2025. (Photograph: AFP)
BRUGES, Belgium (AFP) — Aston Villa supervisor Unai Emery insisted his crew nonetheless have work to do to achieve the Champions League quarter-finals regardless of a commanding 3-1 victory away to Membership Brugge within the first leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday.
Two late targets, together with a Marco Asensio penalty, gave Villa the victory in Belgium to puncture the hopes of the hosts who carried out so effectively for therefore lengthy.
Jamaican winger Leon Bailey’s early opener for Villa on the Jan Breydelstadion was quickly cancelled out by a Maxim De Cuyper leveller.
Membership Brugge had been greater than a match for his or her Premier League guests, however Brandon Mechele’s 82nd-minute personal purpose restored Villa’s lead.
Asensio, on as an alternative, then transformed an 88th-minute penalty, his fifth purpose in 4 video games wrapping up the victory which places the 1982 European Cup winners in a really sturdy place.
“Immediately I’m pleased however calm,” Emery stated.
“We aren’t within the quarter-finals. There are nonetheless 90 minutes to play and we’re prepared in case we’d like additional time and a penalty shoot-out as a result of I understand how many difficulties there might be in every match.”
If Emery’s crew full the job at Villa Park subsequent Wednesday, their reward can be a quarter-final in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain or Liverpool.
Villa certified instantly for this stage after ending eighth within the league part, however they’d misplaced 1-0 in Bruges in early November, a recreation from which Emery discovered classes.
“After the match we performed right here in November, they’ve been performing very effectively,” he stated.
“They’ve an excellent construction with the ball, and we determined to respect them after they have possession, and crucial factor was how we competed.”
That final assembly was determined by a Hans Vanaken penalty after Tyrone Mings bizarrely picked the ball up in his personal space.
Mings can be happy to have performed an element within the third-minute purpose which put Villa in entrance in that very same field.
He met a free-kick into the Brugge space with a header down for Bailey to attain with a managed end previous goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
Membership Brugge have proven this season that they’ll compete at this degree, notably dispatching Atalanta 5-2 on mixture within the play-offs final month.
– Rashford ineffective –
The hosts had been quickly degree, as Greek worldwide Christos Tzolis collected the ball on the left and laid it again to De Cuyper, who despatched a first-time shot into the far nook.
They then nearly went forward as Emiliano Martinez made a significant save to disclaim Chemsdine Talbi.
Raphael Onyedika tried a robust strike from vary early within the second half, and Emery then sought to stir his subdued aspect by making a quadruple substitution simply previous the hour.
Marcus Rashford was among the many gamers to return off, after he was quiet on the left wing in his first Champions League look since being despatched off for Manchester United in a 4-3 defeat in Copenhagen in November 2023.
A kind of approaching was Asensio, one other of Villa’s winter signings, who began on the bench regardless of wonderful current type.
“Their response was incredible,” Emery stated of the replacements, with Jacob Ramsey, Boubacar Kamara and Matty Money additionally launched.
On-loan PSG participant Asensio nearly struck on 68 minutes, assembly a Ramsey help just for Mignolet to save lots of.
Membership Brugge additionally might have scored once more. Captain Vanaken headed narrowly large from a Tzolis cross after which arrange the Greek winger for an ideal likelihood which he miscued.
They didn’t deserve to finish up dropping by two targets, however that’s what occurred as Mechele turned a Morgan Rogers cross into his personal web.
Tzolis then tripped up Money within the space, and Asensio blasted within the spot-kick earlier than operating away to have fun in entrance of the travelling followers.
“We created numerous probabilities, however sadly we concede an personal purpose after which after all 5 minutes later the penalty, and it makes the return far more troublesome,” stated Brugge coach Nicky Hayen.
“Regardless of the consequence I believe we performed a constructive recreation and we have now to keep in mind that after we go there subsequent Wednesday.”
