Aston Villa secured a crucial 3-1 away victory over Club Brugge, taking a significant step toward the Champions League quarter-finals. The match held extra significance for Tyrone Mings, who had previously gifted Brugge a penalty in their last encounter at the Jan Breydel Stadium. This time, however, the defender was the hero, producing a stunning goalline clearance to deny Hans Vanaken and prevent the Belgian champions from gaining momentum.
Villa got off to a dream start, opening the scoring just over two minutes into the match. Mings played a key role, rising above Joel Ordóñez to head down a Youri Tielemans free-kick, which Leon Bailey latched onto before finishing confidently. Mings, clearly relishing his redemption arc, gestured toward the home crowd in response to their earlier jeers.
Brugge quickly responded in the 12th minute through Maxim De Cuyper, who finished after Christos Tzolis drove at Axel Disasi. The hosts had further opportunities, with Chemsdine Talbi forcing a strong save from Emiliano Martínez, but it was Mings’ defensive heroics that stopped Brugge from going ahead.
Villa’s struggles led to a quadruple substitution after the hour mark, with Matty Cash, Boubacar Kamara, Jacob Ramsey, and Marco Asensio replacing Disasi, John McGinn, Bailey, and Marcus Rashford. Moments later, Asensio was involved in Villa’s second goal. A dangerous cross from Morgan Rogers caused confusion in the Brugge defense, and Brandon Mechele, wary of Asensio and Ollie Watkins, inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.
Brugge continued to push forward, but their wastefulness proved costly. Tzolis missed a golden opportunity after maneuvering between defenders, and Villa made them pay. Late in the game, Asensio sealed the victory from the penalty spot after Tzolis fouled Cash in the box.
With six wins from nine matches in their return to the Champions League, Villa are in a commanding position. However, the job is not done yet, with the second leg still to come. Their potential quarter-final opponents, either Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain, will provide a formidable challenge, but Villa will be confident after another European night of resilience and quality.
