Marco Asensio, a three-time Champions League winner, once again proved his mettle when he steered Aston Villa to the brink of the quarter-finals, causing further misery for Club Brugge. Villa’s manager, Unai Emery, who had been under mounting pressure, breathed a sigh of relief as Asensio’s brilliance turned the tide in a game that was becoming increasingly fraught.
The presence of Asensio, along with his teammate Ollie Watkins, seemed to unnerve Brugge’s Brandon Mechele, prompting him to inadvertently send a cross from Morgan Rogers into his own goal. The situation worsened for Brugge when Christos Tzolis was penalised for a clumsy tackle on Matty Cash, allowing Asensio to convert the resulting penalty past Brugge’s goalkeeper, Simon Mignolet. Despite struggling in the early stages of their return to Belgium, Villa managed to secure a two-goal lead, setting themselves up with a significant advantage ahead of the second leg scheduled for next Wednesday.
This match marked a significant return for Villa’s Tyrone Mings, who had a controversial encounter with Brugge during their league-phase meeting in November. Mings inadvertently handed Brugge a penalty after mistakenly handling the ball, believing that play had not been restarted following a goal-kick from Emiliano Martínez. The resulting penalty, scored by Hans Vanaken, sealed the game in Brugge’s favour.
Mings’ inclusion in Villa’s starting lineup was met with cheers from the home supporters, but he had the last laugh. Axel Disasi, Chelsea’s loanee, was moved to right-back in a defensive reshuffle by Emery, enabling Ezri Konsa to partner with Mings in the centre.
The game commenced with Villa taking the lead just 136 seconds in, stunning the crowd at the aging stadium on the outskirts of picturesque Bruges. Mings played a pivotal role, heading down a free-kick from Youri Tielemans to Leon Bailey, who swiftly charged towards the penalty spot and fired a left-footed volley into the net.
However, Villa’s lead was short-lived. In the 12th minute, Raphael Onyedika set up Maxim De Cuyper with a pass over the top of Disasi, allowing De Cuyper to equalise with a cool, albeit unremarkable, shot. Emery’s frustration was palpable as Tielemans lost possession cheaply, leading to a second attempt on goal by Tzolis. Emery’s decision to warm up Cash, who had been absent since Villa’s victory over Chelsea, seemed validated.
The first half drew to a close with Lucas Digne losing the ball under pressure from Ferran Jutglà, and Martínez narrowly preventing Brugge from taking the lead by saving Chemsdine Talbi’s effort at the back post. Aston Villa’s victory, despite the early hiccups, demonstrated their resilience and underlined the importance of key players like Asensio and Mings. As the anticipation for next Wednesday’s second leg builds, Aston Villa will undoubtedly aim to leverage their two-goal lead to secure a place in the quarter-finals.