Leon Bailey’s third-minute goal hushed the buzzing Jan Breydel Stadium and set the tone for Tuesday’s spirited Champions League encounter. Aston Villa, dealing with questions about their recent away form, found a crucial opener when Tyrone Mings outjumped his marker and headed the ball into Bailey’s path. Bailey struck a sharp half-volley that zipped past Simon Mignolet.
Club Brugge, who’d beaten Villa in the group phase, responded quickly. Maxim De Cuyper darted into the box to level in the 12th minute after Christos Tzolis sliced through Villa’s right side. From there, the Belgian side pressed forward and forced Emiliano Martínez into several anxious saves. Just before halftime, Mings produced a remarkable goal-line clearance to keep Hans Vanaken’s header out, prompting murmurs that the center-back’s intervention might prove decisive.
Villa manager Unai Emery urged his team to compete more ruthlessly. “Competing is something that you have to do in every game you play,” he said pre-match. “We analysed the game we played here and they played fantastic football, but we did not compete as I want to do.”
His quadruple substitution on the hour mark changed the energy on the pitch. The final stages came to life in the 82nd minute when Morgan Rogers swung in a cross, forcing Brandon Mechele into an awkward clearance that ricocheted into his own net.
Moments later, Christos Tzolis lost his composure in the box and brought down Matty Cash, conceding a penalty that substitute Marco Asensio calmly buried to make it 3-1.
“I know people talked a lot about our results away from home,” Emery added in his post-match remarks. “But we stayed patient, kept our shape, and looked for the right moment.”
Brugge’s efforts through Tzolis and Vanaken threatened to unsettle Villa’s defense, yet the late lapse frustrated the hosts. They’ll travel to Villa Park next week facing a two-goal deficit, a situation that might demand something extraordinary if they’re to advance.
Meanwhile, Villa’s supporters will hope this result signifies a corner turned on their travels. It was sometimes more gritty than elegant, but the team found the clinical touch just when Brugge began to tire. Asensio’s penalty exemplified the coolness Emery has been looking for on these big European nights.
A Late Turn in Belgium
With so much speculation around Villa’s inconsistent away form, the manner of victory was everything. They bagged two goals in the last eight minutes, showing a calm edge often missing on the road.
Bailey’s early strike gave them a platform and set the crowd on edge. Still, it was Mings’s desperate clearance and Asensio’s composed finish that ensured the visitors left Belgium with both a confident stride and a precious advantage.
Villa returns home with a 3-1 lead, and if they carry this belief into next week, they’ll stand a strong chance of booking their spot in the quarterfinals.
