Club Brugge vs Aston Villa LIVE: Champions League result and final score as two late goals turn tie around
Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa: A late own goal and Marco Asensio penalty put Unai Emery’s side in charge of the last-16 tie
Aston Villa earned a 3-1 win away to Club Brugge in their Champions League last-16 first leg in Belgium, thanks to an own goal and a penalty kick in the final eight minutes.
Villa were in front in the third minute when Leon Bailey fired a first-time shot into the bottom corner but the hosts were level nine minutes later through Maxim De Cuyper.
The tie appeared to be heading for a draw until Brandon Mechele put the ball into his own net eight minutes from time and with two minutes left Marco Asensio converted from the penalty spot.
The sides will meet again at Villa Park next Wednesday for the second leg, to decide who will face either Liverpool or Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals. Follow all the Champions League reaction with our live blog below:
'Tie is not over' says Unai Emery
Despite Villa’s healthy lead, Unai Emery insisted that the tie is not over.
We are not in the quarter-final,” Emery said. "There's still 90 minutes to play, we're ready in case we need extra-time and penalties because I know how difficult it is in each match and how we can change one match in 90 minutes.
"The players, I'm sure they have experiences before as well with matches like that and we have to respect the opponent always. There are still 90 minutes to play. They won against Atalanta 3-1 and they compete very well.
"We need to watch the match again with the players to understand the difficulties we can face against teams in Europe. I am happy but calm, getting balance. There are still 90 minutes to play."
Una Emery on Aston Villa’s 3-1 victory at Club Brugge and Tyrone Mings’ redemption, after the defender’s mistake in the 1-0 defeat in Belgium earlier this season:
"It is very important getting experiences. The first experience he had here was not good but today he reacted fantastic, playing focused, serious, saving one action that was a goal.
"We are demanding everyone inside. I am demanding with the players and they have to be demanding themselves.
"Of course I know the difficulties in football and how we can (have) experiences and how we can get better and analyse everything deeply and try and correct it, that is my only target with the players.
"We corrected something from the match we played here. Of course we have to correct something we didn't do well today here for the next week against Bruges."
‘Unbelievable’ Tyrone Mings clearance hailed as ‘turning point’ in Aston Villa win
An “unbelievable” goal-line clearance from Tyrone Mings was hailed as a “turning point” as Aston Villa took a huge step towards the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-1 win at Club Brugge.
Unai Emery’s frustration was mounting, with hosts Brugge taking charge of the contest after Leon Bailey’s early opener was cancelled out by Maxim De Cuyper and Villa spending long spells on the back foot.
Emi Martinez had already made one excellent save to deny Chemsdine Talbi down low, but the goalkeeper appeared to have been beaten by Hans Vanaken’s downward header as it was directed back across goal and into the far corner.
However Mings, who was facing his own goal two yards out, managed to get the slightest touch on Vanaken’s header, reaching to get his toe high enough to alter its direction and divert it around the post.
Mings’ touch was so slight that referee Joao Pinheiro pointed for a goal-kick, but its significance became clear when Villa scored two late goals to take a 3-1 lead back to Villa Park for next week’s second leg.
‘Unbelievable’ Tyrone Mings clearance hailed as ‘turning point’ in Aston Villa win
FULL TIME! Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa
Speaking on TNT Sports, Rio Ferdinand calls Tyrone Mings’ astonishing goal-line clearance as the “turning point” in the tie.
Aston Villa and Club Brugge were level at 1-1 when Mings got a touch to Hans Vanaken’s header, which was sneaking in at the back post.
Villa’s two late goals means they are now in control of the tie ahead of the return leg, but it would have been a different story had they gone 2-1 down.
FULL TIME! Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa
Aston Villa punished two late mistakes from Club Brugge to win 3-1 in Belgium and take control of their Champions League last-16 tie.
With the match head for a 1-1 stalemate in the 83rd minute, Morgan Rogers’ cross was first put into his own net by Brandon Mechele, before Christos Tzolis brought down Matty Cash in the box, giving Marco Asensio the chance add a third from the penalty spot.
Asensio made no mistake and a 3-1 win in Brugge puts Unai Emery’s side in control ahead of next week’s second leg at Villa Park.
FULL TIME! Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa
What a result for Aston Villa! They take a 3-1 lead back to Villa Park, but Club Brugge will be kicking themselves. They were the better team until two late mistakes, an own goal and penalty, put Villa in charge.
Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa
90+1 mins: Ooooh. Let off for Villa. Hugo Vetlesen has a chance on the edge of the box but can’t keep the shot down.
Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa
90 mins: Four minutes added on. The Villa fans in the away end are in dreamland thanks to those two late goals.
GOAL! Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa (ASENSIO PEN 88')
MARCO ASENSIO SCORES FROM THE SPOT!
He loses his footing slightly but beats Mignolet - who went the right way to his right!
But Asensio’s penalty was too good - that’s his fifth since joining Villa already.
What a five minutes for Villa. It’s turned the tie around.
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