Your friend and mine Ben Fisher was in Brugge for the big one.
Here is his report. Good night.
Villa worked hard overall but were nowhere near their best in Belgium. Maybe Emery will disagree.
Full time: Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa
Aston Villa will count themselves very lucky after being gifted an own goal and penalty late in the match. Club Brugge were, arguably, the better team but they have been edged out on the night and the tie looks over.
90+3 mins: Sub Vetlesen gets a chance on the edge of the box but whacks the ball well over.
90+2 mins: Brugge need to get one here to give them any chance in Birmingham next week.
90 mins: Four minutes added on.
Borgarde on for Watkins to help shut things down for Villa.
89 mins: What a dramatic final 10 minutes for Villa. Tie over?
GOAL! Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa (Asensio, pen, 88)
Asensio finds the bottom corner from the spot.
Updated
86 mins: PENALTY TO VILLA! Tzolis, what have you done? He misscontrols the ball in his own box and then immediately trips up Cash when trying to make amends.
85 mins: Tzolis earns a little space on the left and whips the ball into a dangerous area but Martinez is there to claim.
84 mins: I suspect Villa will try to slow this match to walking pace.
GOAL! Rogers has space on the right and sends in a cross to the edge of the six-yard box. Mechele is facing is own net and decides he has to do something but his outstretched leg only diverts the ball into the bottom corner.
GOAL! Club Brugge 1-2 Aston Villa (Mechele og, 82)
Disaster for the hosts.
Updated
82 mins: Brugge have looked the most threatening team in this half by far. Jashari takes aim from the edge of the box but his effort dribbles out for a goal kick.
80 mins: Mignolet needs to come out of his box to remove any potential danger but then sends his clearance out for a throw.
78 mins: The defender eventually gets up and is OK to continue.
76 mins: Ordonez lands awkwardly after going up for a header and looks in pain.
74 mins: Vanaken flicks a pass through to Tzolis who gets the wrong side of the defence but launches the ball well over the bar from about eight yards. A dreadful finish.
Emery just keeps ranting about something or other. I think the ref has been decent tonight. There’s been no real issues on the pitch. Emery is the only person to have been booked!
72 mins: Peter Oh emails: “Villa need to use caution here. Everybody knows that as a tourist traveling abroad, you have to be careful about flaunting your Cash and expensive Kamara.”
70 mins: WHAT A CLEARANCE! Tzolis whips in a beautiful cross and it looks inevitable that Vanaken will head in a second for Brugge but Mings gets back with a wonderful goal-line clearance.
Emery has been booked for complaining.
Updated
68 mins: Rogers has moved out to the right and Asensio is playing centrally. Villa need to get the Spaniard on the ball.
They do, but Asensio’s shot from inside the box is well-saved by Mignolet and then Cash smashes over the rebound.
66 mins: Rogers is pulled down by De Cuyper and wants a free-kick but the referee shakes his head.
64 mins: Bailey pings a shot over. That is his last involvement. He goes off with Rashford, Disasi and McGinn.
62 mins: It transpires Villa are bringing on Asensio, Kamara, Cash and Ramsey. Who doesn’t love a quadruple change? An indication that Emery is not happy with what’s happening out there.
60 mins: Brugge work a dangerous position; Vanaken looks like he has a chance to shoot but decides to look for Jutgla and the defence sort everything out.
Asensio readying himself, as is Kamara.
Updated
59 mins: Digne pings a lovely crossfield pass out to Bailey but he ends up being completely outnumbered on the right, although he earns a throw.
57 mins: Villa are yet to offer anything going forward in this half. Bailey tries to change that on the right wing but is forced backwards. Rashford gives it a go on the other side, the sends it to Rogers who is tackled by Onyedika.
55 mins: Onyedika decides to take aim from around 30 yards, it looks like it could hit the top corner but lacks power and Martinez grabs with minimum fuss.
53 mins: Talbi looks to put the ball into the corridor of uncertainty but Mings reads it and provides certainty, in the form of a corner.
De Cuyper swings in the corner but Disasi gets his head on the ball.
51 mins: One issue is that nothing has really happened. No looks particularly interested in forcing the issue.
Jutgla runs into Tielemans arm and thinks he deserve a free-kick but he certainly does not. The striker and Hayen are not happy.
Updated
49 mins: I was at Forest v Ipswich last night and got home at 1am before a day of daddy daycare with my four-year-old. If I stop posting updates, it’s because I’ve fallen asleep. Do feel free to nudge me.
47 mins: Jashari gives Konsa a kick on the back of the calf in the Villa defensive third to give away a needless free-kick.
No changes for either side at the break.
Second half
Here we go again!
Updated
Asensio is on the bench for Villa but has a bit of a knock. I wonder if we will get to see him at some point. I am suspicious Villa would take a draw here.
Half-time reading.
Half time: Club Brugge 1-1 Aston Villa
No minutes added on. Club Brugge have just edged it for me but it’s been a pretty even first half.
44 mins: Watkins has barely had a kick here, an indication of how well Brugge have defended and limited the ballplayers from producing dangerous passes.
42 mins: Rashford barges his way into the box, using his physicality to get to the byline but his cross is easily held by Mignolet at the near post.
Digne puts in two whipped crosses in quick succession but they come nothing.
Updated
40 mins: Club Brugge have been the better team for the past 15 minutes or so. Villa showed early promise but they have played very slowly for the majority of the game. The Belgians are quite happy to give Mings the ball because they do not fear his passing range, then they put pressure on Tielemans and McGinn, who are forced to give it to Mings, who can’t do much with it.
38 mins: Jutgla wins a corner on the left. Tzolis whips it to the back post and Mechele heads over the bar.
36 mins: Jashari is at the centre of every good for Club Brugge at the moment. The midfielder is showing off his range of passing skills and moving the ball quickly.
34 mins: Club Brugge are putting the pressure on the Villa backline at the moment. This is somewhat relieved when Bailey is fouled by Onyedika.
32 mins: Martinez shows why is he one of the best in the world. The ball drops to Talbi in the box and he thwacks a low drive across the goalkeeper but he is equal to it.
30 mins: Digne shows some indecision and loses control of the ball, gifting Brugge a free-kick in a dangerous position.
28 mins: Mings brings the ball out of the back but there is not much movement in front of him. Eventually Villa start again with Martinez, who gives it to Digne, allowing the full-back to hit the line, although Rashford loses the battle for the header.
26 mins: Rogers gets down the right and flashes another cross into the box but once again there are no Villa shirts available to score.
24 mins: McGinn curls in a free-kick but Club Brugge have no problems heading clear.
22 mins: Tzolis looks like he has a great chance but Disasi does well to hold him up in the box and puts in a fine tackle.
Updated
20 mins: The tempo, it should be said, has considerably dropped since the equaliser. Villa’s front four were vibrant prior to the De Cuyper’s strike but they seem somewhat subdued.
18 mins: The silencing of the home fans has come and gone. Club Brugge’s supporters are very much up and going again.
16 mins: Bailey works some room on the right and flashes a cross along the six-yard line but no one in white is there to meet it.
14 mins: Villa are looking to take back control here, slowing things down to do so.
GOAL! Tzolis gets into the box, bides his time and sends the ball into De Cuyper’s path, who calmly finds the bottom corner.
GOAL! Club Brugge 1-1 Aston Villa (De Cuyper, 12)
Another sweeping finish.
Updated
10 mins: Rashford drives forward and exchanges passes with Rogers on the edge of the box. The loanee makes a run into the area and gets away a shot, which Mignolet blocks with his legs.
8 mins: Club Brugge show their first signs of threat, winning a corner off Disasi from a De Cuyper cross. The Tzolis corner is utterly dreadful and goes straight out for a goal-kick.
Updated
7 mins: The ball reaches Rashford on the halfway line, he tries to take it forward but is dispossessed.
5 mins: Tails are up for Villa. They are looking confident on the ball and they have every right to be.
GOAL! Villa chip a free-kick from just inside the Brugge half into the box, Mings does well to win the header, nodding it back to Bailey who pounces and swipes the ball into the bottom corner.
Updated
GOAL! Club Brugge 0-1 Aston Villa (Bailey, 3)
A beautifully clean hit.
Updated
2 mins: Villa have enjoyed plenty of early position. They will be looking to settle themselves into the match and irritate the home fans.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
All those kids living their dream of being a mascot at a massive Champions League match and then being forced to be dressed like a credit card. Cheers Uefa.
The teams are out! Aston Villa are bedecked in white.
Jeremy Boyce emails: “Looking forward to the match, Brugge are evidently no slouches and the Villans will have to buck up their ideas if they mean to progress. Not sure with your analysis about Marcus. Who would pin their hopes on someone who has only just escaped the unceasing horrors and abandoned-at-sea experience of working for an ill-fated crew destined to suffer and die an abominable death.”
Unai Emery: “We know their potential and we know we have to be strong, defensively, offensively, tactically. We have to try to stop their gameplan and skills. We have to try to win the match, not concede. This is our challenge.
“We try always to improve. It is a good experience we had here. They deserve to be here, we deserve it, too, but today will be a different match. Hopefully we can show our best performance collectively and individually.”
A few more tasty games later in the night.
Borussia Dortmund v Lille
PSV v Arsenal
Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid
Arne Slot might have overreacted a little bit here.
I was at the Etihad when City, just about, overcame Club Brugge. Tzolis was on fine form that night for the Belgians, causing problems on the wing. I look forward to see him in action again tonight.
“Do you reckon that this reboot of In Bruges will top the black-comedy drama of the original?” asks Peter Oh.
I wait to see how Ben Fisher scripts it.
Marcus Rashford is given the nod on the left-hand side of attack. Unai Emery must be hoping he can use his European experience to help Aston Villa.
His Manchester United debut was in Europe and he did alright.
Starting lineups
Club Brugge (4-2-3-1): Mignolet; Sabbe, Ordonez, Mechele, De Cuyper; Jashari, Onyedika; Tzolis, Vanaken, Talbi; Jutgla
Subs: Jackers, Romero, Vetlesen, Vermant, Nilsson, Skoras, Nielsen, Siquet, Spillers, Campbell
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Konsa, Disasi, Mings, Digne; Tielemans, McGinn; Bailey, Rogers, Rashford; Watkins
Subs: Olsen, Zych, Cash, Pau Torres, Asensio, Maatsen, Bogarde, Ramsey, Kamara
Referee: João Pinheiro
Updated
Nicky Hayen has gone from the Welsh Premier League to the Champions League pretty sharpish. I spoke to his former chairman at Haverfordwest about his time there (before Club Brugge Manchester City).
Ben Fisher and John McGinn combine to provide you with some preview material.
Preamble
A huge evening lies ahead for Aston Villa in Brugge. This is the Champions League last 16 and the favour has been relatively kind to the Premier League side who would expect to defeat their Belgian counterparts over two legs but they have already lost in Brugge this season. That loss was the result of some mild comedy/incompetence, depending on your point of you.
As John McGinn indicated in yesterday’s press conference, Villa are out for revenge and will be confident of providing it. Unai Emery’s side have been a mixed bag this season, partially down to the increase schedule caused by being involved in Europe’s top competition. They bolstered their options in January and will be hoping that is enough to take them far in the Champions League.
As for Club Brugge, they are overachieving with a fine team of youngsters. They caused problems for Manchester City in the final group game and then nigh-on humiliated Atalanta in the playoff. There is plenty of quality in their ranks and they will be eager to show it on the biggest stage once more.
Kick-off: 5.45pm GMT
