Villa win with smash & grab victory over Brugge in Champions League

Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)

Aston Villa took a commanding 3-1 lead in 1st leg of Champions League Round of 16 tie away to Club Brugge

Villa started off like they meant business. Within the first three minutes they were 1-0 up. A great ball in from the left for unmarked Leon Bailey to bang it home with a side footed half volley to get Villa off to a dream start.

It was a frantic start to the game and it only took another nine minutes for Brugge to be level again with a goal from Maxim De Cuyper who guided the ball into the corner of the Villa net after 12 minutes.

Last year’s Belgian Champions kept control of the ball well in the first half with Villa looking dangerous on the break and both teams went into the dressing rooms at half time with the score remaining at 1-1.

In the second half Brugge looked like a team that knew they needed to take a lead into the second leg over in Villa Park the following week. They had control of the game but were unable to take their chances and this is the difference in this level of football.

Instead it was the visitors who scored next. The ball came out on to the right wing where Morgan Rogers drove it in to the box only for the unlucky Brandon Mechele to slide in and deflect it into his own net to make it 2-1 to Villa on the night with eight minute to go.

Brugge could not believe they were 2-1 down on the night and things went from bad to worst. Matty Cash got into the Brugge box again and he was taken down. Up stepped Marco Asensio to drive home the penalty to finish the match 3-1 on the night to Villa.

Brugge could count themselves very unlucky to lose the game on the night. But 3-1 was just unbelievable and the Brugge fans left the stadium in shock after the final whistle.

With a two-goal advantage Villa are definitely in the driving seat to make it into the last eight of the UEFA Champions League.