BirminghamWorld reporter Charlie Haffenden reacts to Aston Villa 3-0 Club Brugge (6-1 on aggregate) in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 at Villa Park, as Marco Asensio and Ian Maatsen get on the scoresheet in a famous victory.
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00:00Aston Villa are through to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League
00:04following tonight's 3-0 victory over Club Bruges, winning 6-1 in emphatic fashion on aggregate.
00:10The first leg in Bruges, far from convincing but a 3-1 win nonetheless,
00:14meant that tonight Unai Emery's men had a two-goal advantage, feeling pretty comfortable.
00:19But anything can happen in this competition.
00:21Club Bruges beat Atalanta twice in a row in the play-off phase to get through to this position
00:26and they could have done so again today.
00:28They could have beaten Villa under the lights of Villa Park.
00:30In the first half they looked like they might do.
00:32They came out the better team, definitely firing, looked confident,
00:36trying to get a goal back into it to make things nervy.
00:38But a red card for their right back as Marcus Rashford ran through on goal.
00:42Emiliano Martinez long pass, Rashford a great run, taken down, tugged down by the last man.
00:48A red card in that 16th minute meant that Villa, they felt pretty comfortable.
00:52It wasn't exactly the most convincing first-half performance, to say the least.
00:56Villa hardly touched the ball at times.
00:58I think Bruges, you know, they looked pretty comfortable on the ball.
01:02But Villa, I think Emery may be telling them to just let them play in front of them.
01:06Settle the nerves, try and settle the energy as well and keep themselves composed
01:10to get into half-time level and that's exactly what they did.
01:13Start of the second half, a couple of impactful substitutions.
01:16Marco Asensio and Leon Bailey coming on for Oli Watkins and Boubacar Kamara.
01:21So substitutions changed the game.
01:22Asensio, who'd already scored five goals for Villa before tonight, makes it seven with two goals
01:28and it could have been a hat-trick if he didn't hit the post.
01:30In the 50th minute, really good play from Villa on the edge of the box.
01:33Pretty patient before Bailey, outside the boot pass to Asensio, clean through on goal.
01:38Didn't even look at the goal as he swivelled on the turn and then put it in the roof of the net for 1-0.
01:43Then, just a few minutes later, Ian Mutson with his first goal for the club.
01:47In for a surprise start ahead of Lucas Dean.
01:49Definitely took advantage as he was great in the first half with a few interceptions
01:53and a good chance created for Marcus Rashford.
01:55Then he got a goal for himself.
01:57It was fantastic work down the left from Morgan Rodgers who timed his run well,
02:02cut the ball back to Mattson and he converted off Brandon Michele's outstanding leg.
02:07And then, before you knew it, Marco Asensio made it 3-0.
02:10Incredibly comfortable for Villa, 6-1 up on aggregate.
02:13Rashford with quite similar work to Rodgers down the left.
02:16Running at the defence, getting to the byline, cutting the ball back
02:19and Asensio was there to make sure, put it in the back of the net for 3-0.
02:23From that point, the crowd are up, they're wanting more goals.
02:26You know Emery though, just asking his players to remain calm to see out the victory
02:30and that's exactly what they did.
02:32So, not the most convincing in the first half but I don't think many people will remember that 45 minutes.
02:37The second 45 were absolutely superb.
02:40Of course, against 10 men, already with a 3-1 aggregate lead, you would hope so.
02:44But Villa, they had to remain professional, they had to remain composed
02:47and they did just that to set up the quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
02:52That will be at the start of April, the first leg in Paris.
02:55We're not sure yet if it will be on the Tuesday or the Wednesday
02:58and then the following leg will be here at Villa Park a week later.
03:02Can Villa go and do it? Well, I think they'll be dreaming after tonight's victory.
03:06What a result for Unai Emery's men.