Aston Villa beats Brugge and will play PSG in the quarter-finals of the Champions League
Asensio, twice, and Maatsen score the goals in England’s victory
Summary
After a slow first half, Aston Villa, who had played with an extra man since the start of the game, woke up in the second half and won 3-0 against Club Brugge, confirming their expected place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League – in the first leg, in Brussels, the English team had won 3-1. Asensio, twice, and Matseen scored the goals. In the quarter-finals, Unai Emery’s team takes on PSG.
Sabbe was sent off in the 16th minute of the first half after grabbing Rashford at the last minute. Dibu Martinez’s pass to the forward was a masterpiece, and the right-back opted to stop him from entering the area. Despite their numerical superiority, Aston Villa preferred to keep the game going, which made the half monotonous. The teams tied in shots (four), and Brugge, despite being one man down, had 67% possession.
Unai Emery returned from the break with two changes, and Villa changed radically. Bailey and Asensio, who replaced Kamara and Watkins, were the stars of the first goal. The Jamaican provided a beautiful pass, and the Spaniard finished perfectly. Maatsen, who was in excellent form, scored his after a beautiful play by Morgan Rogers. And Asensio, who had already hit the post, closed the scoring after a pass from Rashford. The home side’s transformation was reflected in the second half statistics: 73% possession and a 10-0 shot ratio.
