The Villans started on the backfoot against Brugge but after Kyriani Sabbe was sent off, the game was turned on its head

Asensio shines as 4/10 teammate flops – Aston Villa player ratings v Club Brugge
Aston Villa beat Club Brugge 3-0 on Wednesday night to round off a 6-1 aggregative victory and qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Villans started on the backfoot against Brugge but after Kyriani Sabbe was sent off, the game was turned on its head
However, it wasn’t until the start of the second half of the game that the deadlock was broken by Marco Asensio after he rounded off a lovely team goal with a coolly-placed finish.

Ian Maatsen also got his name on the scoresheet as he netted Villa’s second of the tie with Asensio cropping up once again to earn Unai Emery’s men a place in the quarter-finals.

Unai Emery chose a strong line-up against Club Brugge (Credit: Imago)
Aston Villa player ratings v Club Brugge
Emiliano Martinez – 6

Back to his best after missing the Villans’ last game against Brentford with his 70-yard pass being the turning point in the game as Sabbe was sent off for a foul on Marcus Rashford.

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Didn’t have all that much of a say on the game but he did manage to keep Christos Tzolis quiet which is an impressive achievement.

Ezri Konsa – 6

Put his body on the line more than once to keep Villa’s lead and he managed to keep Ferran Jutgla out of the tie with his man-marking.
Mings was left flat-footed by Hans Vanaken a couple of times but put in yet another solid defensive performance aside from that.

Tyrone Mings
Tyrone Mings had yet another solid game for Villa (Credit: Imago).
Ian Maatsen gamble pays off for Emery
Ian Maatsen – 7

Emery’s choice to start the Dutchman over Lucas Digne paid off as he was a constant attacking threat throughout the game with the defender almost setting Marcus Rashford multiple times.

Boubacar Kamara – 5 (Off for Leon Bailey, 45)

Poor game from the Frenchman as he was entrusted to hold down the centre of the park with McGinn pushed forward but he failed to make the most of his opportunity.

Youri Tielemans – 6

Solid game from Tielemans, helped keep a nice balance between the defence and attack and put in plenty of effort to ensure Villa stayed ahead.
John McGinn – 6

Excelled in his much more advanced role within Emery’s team with his constant pressing seeming to cause Club Brugge a fair bit of trouble.

Morgan Rogers – 7 (Off for Jacob Ramsey, 66′)

Only decided to start performing after Villa netted their opener as he used his silky footwork to set Maatsen up to net his first goal for Emery’s men this season.

Marcus Rashford – 7

Villa’s bright spark in attack for the first 45, forced Sabbe to take him down and get himself sent off which turned the game on its head while he also assisted Asensio to bag his second of the tie.

Aston Villa – 3 Club Brugge – 0
Marco Asensio, 50′, 61′
Ian Maatsen, 57′
How the game between Aston Villa and Club Brugge played out.
Ollie Watkins – 4 (Off for Marcos Asensio, 45′)
Had another quiet night when leading Emery’s line and was carried by those around him as he rarely got a touch on the ball and failed to create anything.
Made an instant impact when brought on, scored the first goal of the game after finishing off a lovely team goal and was Villa’s shining light as he bagged a second.
Much like Asensio, made all the difference when he was brought on with his outside-of-the-foot pass key in setting the Spaniard up for his goal.

Fri 14 March 2025 13:20, UK
PSG were hopeful of landing an advantage ahead of their trip to face Aston Villa in the Champions League in April.

The Villans are set to host the Ligue 1 giants in B6 after securing a place in the quarter finals thanks to a 6-1 aggregate win against Club Brugge.
A brace from Marco Asensio sent Unai Emery’s side on their way to set up a clash against their former employers in a blockbuster clash at Villa Park.

With the second leg falling on Tuesday 15 April, the Parisians have looked to give themselves an advantage but have failed in their attempts.
Unai Emery
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery (Credit: Imago)
PSG postponement request refused ahead of Aston Villa clash
As the season goes on, the calendar is only likely to get busier which is going to have a telling impact on fitness and injury concerns.

This has already been witnessed at Bodymoor Heath with the likes of Amadou Onana and Pau Torres being absent for many months between them

With a view to reducing the chance of these issues arising, Luis Enrique’s side have looked to postpone a Ligue 1 clash to give them time to prepare for a trip to the West Midlands.

L’Equipe reported on 14 March that the Red and Blues have requested to cancel their away clash against Nantes on 13 April to allow for full focus on the Champions League.

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This has since been refused by the opposition who do not want the game to be postponed which will leave PSG with four games in nine days across all competitions.
Aston Villa in PSG boost before Champions League meeting
It is safe to say that the Villa faithful are looking forward to such a huge clash against one of the biggest sides in Europe.

The Villans already have previous for getting the better of huge sides in the Champions League, beating Bayern Munich on an electric Villa Park night earlier in the season.
The atmosphere will have to be as good, if not better, as Enrique’s men travel to the UK after already dumping Liverpool out of the competition.

It will be a boost in B6 to learn how congested the Parisians’ schedule will be ahead of the game, which could see the tie fall in Emery’s favour.

Date Opponent Competition
06/04/25 Angers Ligue 1 (H)
09/04/25 Aston Villa Champions League (H)
13/04/25 Nantes Ligue 1 (A)
15/04/25 Aston Villa Champions League (A)
PSG fixtures
PSG do have an excellent squad so will have some work to do to balance performances and fitness which will all add to an already mouthwatering tie.

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Ruben Amorim, Marcus Rashford, Aston Villa, Manchester United(Credit: Imago/Sky Sports)
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Marcus Rashford and Aston Villa ‘laughing at Manchester United’ after new update
Declan Carr
Declan Carr
Fri 14 March 2025 12:46, UK
Marcus Rashford and Aston Villa will be laughing at Manchester United.

The 27-year-old moved to Villa Park on loan in the winter transfer window after a high-profile falling out with Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim.

The England ace escaped the toxic atmosphere at Old Trafford and is thriving under Unai Emery at Villa Park, notching four assists in nine appearances.

Marcus Rashford
Rashford has impressed for the Aston Villa (Credit: Imago)
Rashford gets England reward for Villa form
As a result of his form in B6, Villa loanee Rashford has been rewarded with a recall to Thomas Tuchel’s first Three Lions squad for the upcoming international break.

The Villans ace was last selected for his country in the 1-0 loss to Brazil in March 2024, nearly a year ago to the day.

He could feature in the World Cup qualifiers against Albania (21 March) and Latvia (24 March) but there are no Red Devils players in the squad.
Villa to have the last laugh over Man United
Villa are set to have the last laugh over the Old Trafford outfit after Rashford was called up and none of their players were.

Rashford came to Villa Park hoping to revive his career after a dismal run of form and force his way back into the England squad.

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Stats Rashford (Aston Villa)
Played 9
Goals 0
Assists 4
Rashford’s stats for Aston Villa so far.

It has taken him just over a month to do exactly that as he has shined for Emery’s side despite not registering a goal yet in his nine appearances.

He has formed a very dangerous partnership with fellow loanee Marco Asensio and surely the Villans will attempt to bring both players in on permanent deals in the summer if they maintain their current form.

The loan star will hope to prove himself on the international stage once again and go back to his status as key player for the Three Lions after a year in the shadows, ignoring negative views from the likes of Troy Deeney in the process.

His emergence for England will only help Villa’s case to secure his signature permanently and, given that there is a £40million clause in his loan deal, it is a no-brainer at the moment, especially with the way that he has endeared himself to supporters.

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