Aston Villa boost chances of UEFA Champions League quarterfinal after first leg dominance in Belgium

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Unai Emery has remained grounded despite Aston Villa’s impressive first-leg victory over Club Brugge in the Champions League last 16. The Spaniard emphasised that the job is far from done, urging his players to stay focused ahead of the return leg.  While pleased with their performance, Emery warned against complacency, highlighting Brugge’s quality and ability to turn the tie around. Villa’s boss is determined to keep his squad motivated as they look to secure a historic quarter-final spot.

Transcript

00:00Aston Villa took a major step toward the Champions League quarter-finals with a dramatic 3-1

00:09victory over Club Bruges in the first leg of their last 16 tie. Despite not being at

00:15their best, Unai Emery's men found a way to win, capitalising on key moments to put themselves

00:21in a commanding position ahead of the second leg at Villa Park. Leon Bailey opened the

00:28scoring early on, finishing clinically to give Villa the perfect start. However, Bruges

00:34responded well and Di Kupia's fine strike brought the host level, shifting the momentum

00:40in their favour. The Belgian side enjoyed the better share of possession and created

00:45several clear-cut chances, but Villa stood firm before regaining the lead in fortunate

00:51fashion. Brandon Michele turned the ball into his own net, restoring Villa's advantage before

00:57half-time. The game remained tightly contested, with Bruges pushing hard for another equaliser,

01:03but Villa's resilience paid off. Their big moment came in the second half, when Marco

01:08Asensio converted a penalty, giving Emery's side a crucial two-goal cushion. Bruges continued

01:16to threaten, but Villa's defence held strong, ensuring they take a significant advantage

01:22back to Birmingham for the second leg. For Tyrone Mings, the match marked a moment of

01:28redemption. The defender had made a costly mistake at this very stadium in the group

01:34stage, gifting Bruges a penalty. This time, however, he produced a solid performance,

01:41helping Villa take a major step toward the next round.

01:53While Bruges will feel hard done by giving their performance, Villa's clinical edge proved

02:00decisive. The job isn't done yet, though, but with a two-goal lead heading into next

02:06week's second leg, Emery's men are in an excellent position to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

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