Aston Villa earned a deserving 3-1 win in their first-leg Champions League Round of 16 Knockout Play-off, taking advantage of errors committed by the defense to steal the win.
The first goal was scored very early by Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey, converting an assist from Tyrone Mings into a goal in the 3rd minute. Not too long after, the opposition, Club Brugge, responded in the 12th minute through a goal by Maxim De Cuyper after an accurate pass from Christos Tzolis.
The first half ended in a draw after both teams secured early goals, but Villa took charge of the match as the second half began.
Tension rose after a yellow card was shown to manager Unai Emery in the 70th minute for dissent on the touchline. Club Brugge began to lose it when it started. Brandon Mechele unfortunately kicked the ball into his own net, helping Aston Villa to steal a 2-1 lead.
Aston Villa finally sealed the win in the 88th minute after Marco Asensio successfully converted a penalty into a goal, ensuring a good advantage for the English team as the two teams await their second-leg.
This victory boosts Aston Villa’s confidence in advancing and winning their second leg, while Club Brugge will face a tough challenge and will need to do better to continue the Champions League run.
