March 4, 2025 – What a night for Aston Villa fans! We walked away from the Jan Breydel Stadium with a 3-1 victory over Club Brugge in the first leg of our Champions League Round of 16 tie. The scoreline suggests a commanding performance, but let’s be honest – it flattered us a little. A draw might have been a fairer reflection of the game, yet here we are, celebrating a win that keeps us firmly in the driver’s seat heading into the second leg at Villa Park.
The match started with a bang for Villa. Leon Bailey struck early to fire us into the lead within the first three minutes. It was the kind of start that had us dreaming of a comfortable night in Belgium. But Club Brugge responded swiftly, with Maxim De Cuyper finishing off a slick move to level the score at 1-1. From that moment, the hosts took control, dictating the tempo and asking serious questions of our backline.
Villa looked like a team struggling to find their rhythm. Unai Emery’s men were second-best in too many duels, and Club Brugge’s energy and pressing kept us on the back foot. Emiliano Martínez had to be at his best, pulling off a crucial save to deny Chemsdine Talbi, while Tyrone Mings produced a jaw-dropping clearance off the line to keep us in it. Without those moments of individual brilliance, we could easily have been trailing.
The turning point came very late in the match. In the 83rd minute, Morgan Rogers whipped in a cross that Brandon Mechele inadvertently turned into his own net under pressure from Ollie Watkins. It was a stroke of luck, no doubt about it. And then a few minutes later, Christos Tzolis inexplicably tripped Matty Cash in the box, gifting us a penalty. Marco Asensio stepped up and coolly slotted the ball home to make it 3-1. Two goals in five minutes turned a hard-fought contest into what looks like a convincing win on paper.
But let’s not kid ourselves – this was no masterclass. Club Brugge were arguably the better side for long stretches. They created chances, stretched our defence, and showed why they’re in the last 16 of this competition. A draw would’ve been a fair result based on the balance of play. That said, football isn’t always about fairness – it’s about taking your chances when they come.
Emery will know there’s work to do before the return leg. Our away form has been shaky, and this performance didn’t exactly scream dominance. But a win’s a win, and in the Champions League knockout stages, you take them however they come. We head back to Birmingham with a two-goal cushion, a bit of luck in our pocket, and a chance to finish the job in front of our home crowd. Club Brugge will still fancy their chances in the playoffs, so we’ll need to be sharper next week.
For now, though, let’s savor the moment. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t perfect, but it’s an away win in the bag. UTV