Last-minute surprise in Belgium: What happened between Aston Villa and Club Brugge?
March 4, 2025222 ViewsRead Time: 2 minutes
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In a thrilling European night, English side Aston Villa returned from Belgium with a valuable victory after overturning Club Brugge with a 3-1 scoreline in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, putting themselves in a comfortable position ahead of the return leg.
The match started at a fiery pace, as the Villans needed only 3 minutes to open the scoring through Leon Bailey after a crucial pass from Tyrone Mings.
Club Brugge quickly responded, as just 9 minutes later, Maxim De Cuyper managed to equalize benefiting from a pass by Krépin Diatta, giving his team a strong push to continue pressing.
The Belgian team imposed its control in the first half, creating several dangerous opportunities, notably a shot by Hans Vanaken that was skillfully saved by the Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Despite the home side's dominance, they failed to convert their superiority into additional goals, ending the first half in a 1-1 draw.
As the second half kicked off, Club Brugge continued to dictate the attacking rhythm amidst a declining performance from Aston Villa, but their lack of a final touch prevented them from scoring the lead goal.
Hans Vanaken attempted a header that went wide, Diatta missed a golden opportunity with a shot hitting the crossbar, while Aston Villa settled for some individual attempts, most notably a shot by Marco Asensio skillfully saved by goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
Despite Belgian dominance, the unexpected happened in the final minutes; in the 83rd minute, Brandon Mechele committed a fatal error, scoring an own goal after a cross from Morgan Rogers, giving Aston Villa the lead.
Club Brugge had barely absorbed the shock when their defenders committed another mistake leading to a penalty in the 88th minute, successfully converted by Asensio, securing a 3-1 victory for the English side.
Club Brugge tried to mount a comeback in the final moments, but Aston Villa closed spaces and maintained their lead, exiting with a valuable win that puts them closer to qualifying for the quarter-finals before the return leg at their home stadium.
