Emery Cautions Aston Villa Against Complacency Following First Leg Victory Over Club Brugge

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has urged his players to remain grounded following their well-deserved victory over Club Brugge on Tuesday night.

Villa secured a 3-1 win in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash in Belgium.

“It went exactly as we had planned,” Emery remarked.

“My expectations were aligned with the challenges we faced, as we showed proper respect for them and adapted to their style more than I usually prefer.”

“After analysing our previous match here in November, I noticed their strong form; they possess an excellent tactical structure with the ball. We made the decision to respect their ball possession through their positioning.”

“What stands out is how we competed during the match; our efforts at set pieces leading to the first goal, and how we defended, at times deeper than I would have liked,” he added.

“At times we relied on our goalkeeper, and we had Tyrone Mings stepping up with crucial saves – we can recall the match we played here previously when he was pivotal, and today he made a fantastic save.”

“We made substitutions in the last 30 minutes while maintaining our game plan. We showed resilience, scoring two goals in the final ten minutes.”

“There are still 90 minutes left in the tie. We know their capabilities; they triumphed over Atalanta and played very well today. The key now is to review the match with the players and understand the challenges we may encounter in Europe against any opponent.”

“Our experiences from last year in the Conference League were similar. I’m pleased but remain calm. It’s important to keep perspective as there are still 90 minutes to go.”