Aston Villa Edge Club Brugge in Thrilling Champions League Opener

Unai Emery wanted a statement to open Aston Villa’s Champions League return. He got it – and a scare to go with it – as his side edged a breathless 3-2 victory over Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadium.

This was no cautious easing into the new league-phase era. Villa flew out.

John McGinn set the tone after just 11 minutes, timing his run perfectly and drilling home to silence the home crowd and give the visitors an early lead their aggressive start fully merited.

Brugge, though, refused to be overawed. The response was instant and loud. Eight minutes after McGinn’s opener, Hugo Vetlesen arrived in the box to meet a pass from Jan Virgili and swept in the equaliser, the stadium erupting as the score snapped back to 1-1.

For a moment, the momentum swung. The noise rose, the tackles sharpened. Villa had a wobble to ride out.

They did more than that. They hit back with precision.

On 22 minutes, Emiliano Buendia restored control, finishing clinically after Joao Gomes threaded a clever ball into his path. One chance, one touch, one ruthless conclusion. Emery’s side had their lead back and, with it, a grip on the contest.

Villa then landed what looked like a decisive blow just before the interval. In the 43rd minute, summer signing Nicolas Jackson seized his moment. The striker, still chasing his first official goal for the club, broke through and finished with the composure of a seasoned Villa forward, pushing the score to 3-1 and sending the visitors into the dressing room with a commanding cushion and the away end in full voice.

Brugge, though, were not done.

The second half opened with the Belgians pushing higher, pressing harder, forcing Villa back towards their own box. The home side needed a spark, a break, something to tilt the night back in their favour.

It arrived on 59 minutes in the most modern of ways – via the handball law.

Joaquin Seys latched onto a Nicolo Tresoldi header and tried to whip a cross into the danger area. The ball struck the arm of Aaron Wan-Bissaka inside the box. Under current Champions League handball regulations, the referee pointed straight to the spot, a huge decision that reignited the tie and the crowd.

Tresoldi stepped up with the game hanging in the balance. No hesitation, no nerves on show. He sent Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki the wrong way, coolly rolling his penalty into the opposite corner to drag Brugge back to 3-2 and set up a tense, stretched finale.

From there, it became a test of nerve and resilience.

Brugge poured forward, feeding off the energy from the stands. Crosses rained in, second balls dropped dangerously, and Villa’s earlier fluency gave way to grim determination. Emery’s team, so slick in the first half, now had to dig in and defend their lead under real pressure.

They did exactly that. Blocks, clearances, disciplined positioning – Villa found a way to close the spaces and slow the tempo just enough. Brugge kept asking questions, but the visitors refused to crack.

When the final whistle went, Villa had their win, their away goals, and a hard-earned reminder of the margins at this level.

The focus now swings back to domestic duties, with Nottingham Forest next on the Premier League schedule and Emery keen to harness the momentum of a European victory that was as gritty as it was encouraging.

For Brugge, the task is different but just as urgent. A frustrating night in Europe must quickly be parked as they turn towards Antwerp in the Belgian Pro League, knowing they cannot afford a Champions League hangover.