Aston Villa secured a commanding 3-1 victory over Club Brugge in their Round of 16 Champions League Knockout Play-off clash on Tuesday night.
The English side produced a clinical performance, capitalising on defensive errors from their Belgian opponents to take control of the tie.
Leon Bailey opened the scoring early for Aston Villa in the 3rd minute, finishing off an assist from Tyrone Mings to give the visitors a dream start.
However, Club Brugge responded quickly, with Maxim De Cuyper equalising in the 12th minute after a well-placed assist from Christos Tzolis.
The first half ended level at 1-1, but Villa stepped up their intensity after the break.
Tensions flared in the 70th minute when Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was shown a yellow card for dissent on the touchline.
Brugge’s hopes of securing a result were dented in the 82nd minute when Brandon Mechele inadvertently put the ball into his own net, handing Villa a 2-1 lead.
The Premier League side then sealed the win in the 88th minute, with Marco Asensio calmly converting a penalty to make it 3-1.
Aston Villa’s dominant display leaves them in a strong position ahead of the second leg, while Club Brugge will need a major turnaround to stay in the competition.
