Advantage Villa as clumsy Brugge punished in the Champions League | OneFootball

If an Aston Villa supporter were offered a place in the last 16 of the Champions League in the summer, they would have snapped your hands off. It was no fluke, they earned their right and when the draw was made in February, following the conclusion of the group stage, Club Brugge were the side standing in the way of place amongst the last eight in the Champions League.

It was no real surprise that Villa supporters snapped up the 1,470 tickets allocated to them when they went on sale.

Villa have struggled for consistency all season but still have a chance in three competitions this season and the business end of the season began tonight.

Report: Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa

Unai Emery handed starts to Axel Diasi and Tyrone Mings who came in for Lamare Bogarde who dropped to the bench and Andrés García who wasn’t registered for the competition. Morgan Rogers returned to the starting line-up after being rested in the win over Cardiff City on Friday night.

The visitors shocked the current Belgian Champions and couldn’t have gotten off to a better start when they took the lead inside 3 minutes. Youri Tielemans picked out Mings from a free-kick, who headed the ball into the path of Leon Bailey who slotted the ball into the far corner of the goal.

Villa could have doubled their lead five minutes later when Marcus Rashford beat his man before linking up with Bailey and firing the ball at goal but Simon Mignolet was equal to the Manchester United loanee’s effort.

The hosts were level with their first effort on goal just after the ten minute mark – the story of Villa’s season. Villa looked to attack but Rogers’ through ball for Ollie Watkins was cut out, allowing Brugge to counter attack, Christos Tzolis cut the ball back for an unmarked Maxim De Cuyper on hand to pull the game level.

Blauw-Zwart thought they took the lead after the half hour mark when the ball fell to Chemsdine Talbi, forcing Emi Martinez into a fine save.

The home side continued to dominate after the break with chances falling to Hans Vanaken and Tzolis but they couldn’t take advantage of their dominance.

Villa continued to struggle forcing Emery into four changes. Matty Cash, Jacob Ramsey, Boubacar Kamara and Marco Asensio were introduced and it nearly paid off straight-away.

Rogers picked the ball up in the middle of the park before laying the ball off for Asensio. The Spaniad linked up with Ramsey before firing his effort at Mignolet but the keeper was able to palm his effort away from goal and Cash could only fire the rebound high and wide of the goal.

Then it was the turn of the home side and possibly the turning point in the game. Tzolis crossed the ball, picking out Hans Vanaken, who headed the ball in what looked like a certain goal but the faintest of touches from Mings turned the ball around the post keeping the game level.

With nine minutes left on the clock, Brugge were punished for not taking their chances. Ramsey played the ball to Kamara with the French midfielder releasing Rogers up the right wing. The England international played a first-time cross where Brandon Mechele turned the ball into his own net, in an attempt to prevent Watkins from scoring.

Moments later, Villa were allowed to extend their lead when Cash was brought down in the penalty box. Asensio stepped up to make it 1-3 on the night and make it 5 goals in 4 games since joining on loan from PSG in January.

Highlights