Aston Villa are looking to secure their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals as they host Club Brugge in Birmingham on Wednesday, holding a two-goal advantage going into the second leg of their last-16 tie.
After Brugge’s late collapse in Belgium, Villa are firmly in control and will look to finish the job at Villa Park.
Putting behind a 1-0 league-phase defeat in Bruges earlier this season, Villa made a strong start last week, with Leon Bailey giving them an early lead. Maxim De Cuyper quickly equalized for Brugge, but neither team could gain full control. However, in the 82nd minute, Brandon Mechele scored an own goal, and a few minutes later, Christos Tzolis fouled Villa, conceding a penalty. Marco Asensio, continuing his good form, converted the spot kick, putting Villa 3-1 ahead for the return leg.
Villa now aim to become the first team since Atalanta BC in the 2019-20 season to reach the Champions League quarter-finals in their debut season, and the first English club to do so since Leicester City eight years ago.
Under Unai Emery, who has lost only three of his last 19 home matches in the competition across four clubs, including four at Villa, the team has shown they know how to make home advantage count.
After a difficult spell, Villa have won their last three games in all competitions, putting them in a strong position for the Champions League quarter-finals, where they could face either Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain. On Saturday, they moved up the Premier League table with a 1-0 victory over Brentford, courtesy of Ollie Watkins’ winner against his former club, marking only their second win in the last eight league matches.
