Aston Villa coasted into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a comfortable victory over 10-man Club Brugge as Marco Asensio struck twice to set up a clash with his parent club Paris Saint-Germain.
Club Brugge had a mountain to climb after last week’s 3-1 defeat in Belgium and the task became even harder when right back Kyriani Sabbe was shown a straight red card in the 15th minute for fouling Marcus Rashford on the edge of the box.
Sabbe was the last man and was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity - but it did not take until the second half for Aston Villa to press home their advantage.
Asensio and Leon Bailey came off the bench and combined as the Spaniard continued his excellent form to hook a finish into the top corner. Ian Maatsen added another five minutes later, with Asensio then scoring his second from Rashford’s pass.
Villa played the rest of the game on cruise control and can now look forward to a quarter-final clash with Liverpool’s conquerors PSG, in a match that will see Unai Emery face his former club and Asensio play against the team he’s on loan from.
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Aston Villa 3-0 Club Brugge (6-1 on agg.)
74 mins: Aston Villa don’t play this weekend (their Premier League match was brought forward due to Liverpool being in the Carabao Cup final), so their next game is not until that Preston quarter-final on March 30.
Aston Villa 3-0 Club Brugge (6-1 on agg.)
The good news for Villa fans is we are pretty confident that Asensio will be eligible to play against PSG.
Can Marco Asensio play for Aston Villa against PSG in the Champions League?
Aston Villa 3-0 Club Brugge (6-1 on agg.)
What a cameo from Marco Asensio. Two goals so far, with only the post denying him a hat-trick. He is a class act and he should be eligible to face his parent club PSG in the quarter-finals.
GOAL! Aston Villa 3-0 Club Brugge (6-1 on agg.)
ASENSIO AGAIN AND IT’S RAINING GOALS!
Villa are punishing the 10 men of Club Brugge. It’s super football from Emery’s team, with Rogers finding Rashford, who springs behind the defence and pulls it back to Asensio for a simple finish.
SEVEN GOALS for Villa - three against Brugge.
And that’s a fourth assist for Rashford too since joining Villa.
Aston Villa 2-0 Club Brugge (5-1 on agg.)
60 mins: Villa Park was quiet and tense in the first half but the home fans and belting out the songbook now.
Aston Villa 2-0 Club Brugge (5-1 on agg.)
It stands! Villa fans can start booking their trips to Paris in April.
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-0 Club Brugge (5-1 on agg.)
GAME OVER! VILLA ARE HEADING THROUGH!
It might be offside.... but brilliant footwork from Rogers on the byline helps to set up Maatsen. A deflection helps it in, but it doubles Villa’s lead on the night.
If it stands...
Aston Villa 1-0 Club Brugge (4-1 on agg.)
52 mins: Ah it should be two! Asensio is played through with just Mignolet to beat. Villa Park is already celebrating but Asensio rolls his shot onto the post!
He was almost off celebrating too.
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Club Brugge (4-1 on agg.)
WHAT AN IMPACT FROM MARCO ASENSIO!
Villa are heading to the quarter-finals!
It was Asensio who started the move, and it’s another substitute who sets him up. Bailey threads a neat pass through and Asensio hooks it into the top corner. Top finish. His sixth goal for Villa since arriving in late January.
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