Matt Maher on special Champions League night as Aston Villa seal PSG showdown

Express & Star

Matt Maher gives his take after Aston Villa's 6-1 aggregate win over Club Brugge secured their spot in the last eight of the Champions League.

Transcript

00:00Good evening from Villa Park. Well Unai Emery's team are through to the quarterfinals of the Champions League after a 6-1 aggregate victory over Club Bruges.

00:13Another historic night for Villa and the dream continues. They'll play Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals.

00:21First leg in Paris on either the 8th or 9th of May and the return leg at Villa Park the next week.

00:27Obviously Villa were huge favourites to go through tonight but it wasn't a great first half.

00:33Bruges down to 10 men, the right back Sabé sent off for hauling down Marcus Rashford in the 16th minute.

00:41Up until that point Bruges had settled into the game and were pretty comfortable.

00:46Of course 3-1 down from the first leg, big underdogs but it looked like it could be a nervy night for Villa.

00:52In truth they weren't great in the first half, they looked content to sit on the two goal lead.

00:57But then halftime substitutions, Olly Watkins looked to have a bit of an injury, came off.

01:02Marco Asensio came on along with Leon Bailey and within 5 minutes they had combined to put Villa ahead.

01:11Asensio showing his class, he scored another goal in the 61st minute.

01:16That was after Ian Martson had scored his first Villa goal to double the lead on the night.

01:22Villa 3 goals in 11 minutes to really settle the tie and blow a 10 man Bruges away.

01:306-1 aggregate win and really a bit of a chance for players like John McGinn and Tyrone Mings to reflect

01:37on how far they've come really in the last 6 years at Villa.

01:41Champions League quarter-final, another £10.5m in the bank and really just another great night.

01:49Villa have suddenly won 5 out of 6 games in all competitions.

01:53Whilst it's been a frustrating season at times, in the Premier League in particular,

01:57it suddenly feels like it might all be coming together at the right moment.

02:00Asensio now has 7 goals in 8 appearances and only 2 of those starts.

02:05That's a really special player.

02:07Marcus Rashford also very good in the second half.

02:10Asensio will face Pere San Gimignano's parent club in the next round.

02:15Unai Emery faces his former club PSG.

02:19It's all set up fantastically.

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