Asensio’s Late Double Secures Villa’s Spot in Champions League Quarter-Finals with Victory Over Brugge

Aston Villa, inspired by Marco Asensio, secured a convincing 3-0 victory at home against Club Brugge, advancing to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-finals for the first time since the 1982/83 season.

Brugge sought a strong start to overcome their 3-1 deficit from the first leg last week, and their captain, Hans Vanaken, nearly marked his 50th UCL appearance with an early goal, but his glancing header narrowly missed the target.

However, the task for the Blue-Black side became significantly more challenging when Marcus Rashford outpaced Kyriani Sabbe, who committed a foul as the last defender and received a red card only 17 minutes into the match.

Despite being a man down, Brugge continued to create decent opportunities in their attempt for an improbable comeback, with Chemsdine Talbi’s powerful strike headed for the top corner before being thwarted by a superb save from Emiliano Martínez.

Villa appeared content to manage the pace of the game, protecting their aggregate lead, but Rashford came close to scoring just before halftime with a low shot that hit the side-netting.

After the break, Unai Emery brought on Marco Asensio and Leon Bailey, and it took only five minutes for the substitutes to make an impact. Bailey’s cleverly weighted through ball allowed Asensio to fire home, marking his sixth goal in five matches as he blasted it into the net.

In a sensational opening quarter of an hour in the second half, Villa netted two more goals, firmly placing the tie out of Brugge’s reach.

First, Ian Maatsen converted following a cutback from Morgan Rogers, and then Asensio added his second goal of the night with a tidy finish from Rashford’s low delivery.

Villa now look forward to a tantalising UCL quarter-final matchup against Paris Saint-Germain, riding high on a four-match winning streak—their best form since the season began.

Brugge’s hopes of reaching the UCL quarter-finals for the first time came to an abrupt end following Sabbe’s early dismissal, with Nicky Hayen’s side suffering their second consecutive defeat in European competitions this season.

Access all the statistics from this match here.