Aston Villa thrash Club Brugge to reach Champions League quarter-finals

National World - LocalTV

BirminghamWorld reporter Charlie Haffenden reacts to Aston Villa 3-0 Club Brugge (6-1 on aggregate) in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at Villa Park, as Marco Asensio and Ian Maatsen get on the scoresheet in a famous victory.

Transcript

00:00Aston Villa are through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League

00:04following tonight's 3-0 victory over Club Bruges, winning 6-1 in emphatic fashion on aggregate.

00:10The first leg in Bruges, far from convincing but a 3-1 win nonetheless,

00:14meant that tonight Unai Emery's men had a two-goal advantage, feeling pretty comfortable.

00:19But anything can happen in this competition.

00:21Club Bruges beat Atalanta twice in a row in the play-off phase to get through to this position

00:26and they could have done so again today.

00:28They could have beaten Villa under the lights of Villa Park.

00:30In the first half they looked like they might do.

00:32They came out the better team, definitely firing, looked confident,

00:36trying to get a goal back into it to make things nervy.

00:38But a red card for their right back as Marcus Rashford ran through on goal.

00:42Emiliano Martinez long pass, Rashford a great run, taken down, tugged down by the last man.

00:48A red card in that 16th minute meant that Villa, they felt pretty comfortable.

00:52It wasn't exactly the most convincing first-half performance, to say the least.

00:56Villa hardly touched the ball at times.

00:58I think Bruges, you know, they looked pretty comfortable on the ball.

01:02But Villa, I think Emery may be telling them to just let them play in front of them.

01:06Settle the nerves, try and settle the energy as well and keep themselves composed

01:10to get into half-time level and that's exactly what they did.

01:13Start of the second half, a couple of impactful substitutions.

01:16Marco Asensio and Leon Bailey coming on for Oli Watkins and Boubacar Kamara.

01:21So substitutions changed the game.

01:22Asensio, who'd already scored five goals for Villa before tonight, makes it seven with two goals

01:28and it could have been a hat-trick if he didn't hit the post.

01:30In the 50th minute, really good play from Villa on the edge of the box.

01:33Pretty patient before Bailey, outside the boot pass to Asensio, clean through on goal.

01:38Didn't even look at the goal as he swivelled on the turn and then put it in the roof of the net for 1-0.

01:43Then, just a few minutes later, Ian Mutson with his first goal for the club.

01:47In for a surprise start ahead of Lucas Dean.

01:49Definitely took advantage as he was great in the first half with a few interceptions

01:53and a good chance created for Marcus Rashford.

01:55Then he got a goal for himself.

01:57It was fantastic work down the left from Morgan Rodgers who timed his run well,

02:02cut the ball back to Mattson and he converted off Brandon Michele's outstanding leg.

02:07And then, before you knew it, Marco Asensio made it 3-0.

02:10Incredibly comfortable for Villa, 6-1 up on aggregate.

02:13Rashford with quite similar work to Rodgers down the left.

02:16Running at the defence, getting to the byline, cutting the ball back

02:19and Asensio was there to make sure, put it in the back of the net for 3-0.

02:23From that point, the crowd are up, they're wanting more goals.

02:26You know Emery though, just asking his players to remain calm to see out the victory

02:30and that's exactly what they did.

02:32So, not the most convincing in the first half but I don't think many people will remember that 45 minutes.

02:37The second 45 were absolutely superb.

02:40Of course, against 10 men, already with a 3-1 aggregate lead, you would hope so.

02:44But Villa, they had to remain professional, they had to remain composed

02:47and they did just that to set up the quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain.

02:52That will be at the start of April, the first leg in Paris.

02:55We're not sure yet if it will be on the Tuesday or the Wednesday

02:58and then the following leg will be here at Villa Park a week later.

03:02Can Villa go and do it? Well, I think they'll be dreaming after tonight's victory.

03:06What a result for Unai Emery's men.

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