Aston Villa secured a vital 3-1 win against Club Brugge in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at the Jan Breydel Stadium, overturning a historically poor away record in Belgium with a late double that tilted the balance firmly in their favor. The Villans, who had managed just two wins in their previous 12 trips to this venue, delivered a performance capped by resilience and clinical finishing to take a two-goal lead into the second leg.
Villa wasted no time silencing the home crowd, striking within three minutes. Tyrone Mings, redeeming his costly mistake from a 1-0 league phase defeat here in November, nodded Youri Tielemans� set-piece delivery back across goal, where Leon Bailey arrived to steer a precise half-volley into the bottom-left corner. The early breakthrough set the tone, though Villa�s pursuit of a second was quickly tempered by their shaky defensive record�only one clean sheet in 15 competitive away games this season.
Club Brugge responded swiftly, leveling the score in the 18th minute. Christos Tzolis latched onto a long ball down the left and cut it back for Maxim De Cuyper, who swept a superb finish into the far corner past Emiliano Mart�nez. The equalizer sparked the hosts into life, with Chemsdine Talbi forcing a sharp reflex save from Mart�nez as the Blauw-Zwart dominated possession and territory. Despite their pressure, Brugge couldn�t capitalize further before the break, with Raphael Onyedika�s long-range effort easily gathered by the Villa goalkeeper after the restart.
The game appeared to settle into a stalemate until a quadruple substitution from Villa manager Unai Emery injected fresh impetus. Marco Asensio tested Brugge�s defense with a shot on target, while at the other end, Tyrone Mings produced a sensational clearance to deny Hans Vanaken�s header. Brugge�s wastefulness in front of goal soon proved costly. In the 82nd minute, Morgan Rogers delivered a dangerous ball from the right that Brandon Mechele inadvertently turned into his own net, restoring Villa�s lead.
The decisive blow came in the 88th minute when Tzolis fouled Matty Cash in the penalty area, conceding a spot-kick. Asensio, in scintillating form with five goals in his last four appearances for Villa, stepped up to confidently dispatch the penalty, sealing a 3-1 victory. The late strikes handed Villa a commanding advantage and marked only their third win in 13 away trips to Belgium.
With an impressive home record�losing just once in their last 22 competitive matches at Villa Park, including all four league phase games�the Villans will fancy their chances of advancing to the quarter-finals, where either Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain await. For Club Brugge, the task is daunting; they must replicate their 3-1 play-off triumph over Atalanta when they travel to Birmingham next week to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
This result underscores Villa�s growing maturity in Europe under Emery, setting the stage for a thrilling second leg as they aim to secure a spot among the competition�s elite eight.
