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'To have an asset like that is astonishing'published at 09:18 6 March
09:18 6 March
Media caption,
Villa move closer to quarter-final after first leg win
The Athletic's Rory Smith spoke highly of Marco Asensio after Aston Villa's victory against Bruges.
Speaking to the BBC's Champions League show, Smith said: "Of Villa's January signings, it was Marcus Rashford who captured the imagination in England most because he's Marcus Rashford and because of everything that happened at Manchester United.
"But Marco Asensio has scored in a Champions League final, he's played 70 Champions League games, he was at Real Madrid for nine years - he is an elite footballer.
"He's been around for so long, as a substitute mainly at Real, you maybe overlooked that a little bit. He's vastly experienced, he's only 29 but he's not at the end of his career. For Villa to have an asset like that, who is still getting up to speed, is astonishing.
"Taking the penalty speaks volumes of how the Villa players regard him I think."
Media caption,
Emery's substitutions 'changed the game' against Club Brugge
'The intoxicated and the sober have both got Villa's prospects right'published at 12:08 5 March
12:08 5 March
Mike Taylor BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty Images
"Mad… crazy… fantastic… unreal… Unai Emery is a god."
Villa supporters tumbled on to the streets of Bruges last night intoxicated as much by the scale of their club's achievement as by any refreshments. Those who stopped by a BBC Radio WM microphone gushed praise for the players and particularly their coach.
Back in the press room, their 'god' was in a more sober mood.
"I am happy but calm, getting balanced," said Emery, "because I know there's still 90 minutes to play. We are not in the quarter-final. I know how difficulties are in each match and how a match can change in 90 minutes. I know it."
Fans are from Mars, and coaches are from Venus, maybe. But although their tone could hardly have been more different, actually they both had it right.
Tyrone Mings put his finger on it. Was he not excited about the possibilities lying ahead of Villa this season?
"Yes, absolutely, but the dreaming is really for you reporters and fans," he said. "Our job is to promise the fans we will always stay consistent, and stay respectful and humble of the challenges that we have ahead of us. What that ends up with us achieving at the end of the season is something for the fans to dream."
After the carnival of the previous 18 months under Emery, this has been a more turbulent season. Whether it can all be explained simply by the workload is debatable but there have been days when Villa appeared physically and mentally jaded. Too many points have been surrendered late in matches.
Yet with less than three months to go Villa are FA Cup quarter-finalists with an apparently favourable draw, on course for the last eight of the Champions League and not so far behind in the Premier League as to rule out a top-seven finish. Failing to reach Europe next season would be painful, but they still have three chances and their squad is arguably stronger now than at any previous point in the season.
They have not yet played consistently at their maximum – they did not last night – but they are now equipped to do so.
In Bruges, business and pleasure came in different forms depending on which side of the touchline you were.
"When you're in it," said Matty Cash, "you're so focused on the game it's hard to get caught up in it. For the fans, it's a better day out, and we're here to do a job and to enjoy it."
'Asensio a top, top player' - Townsendpublished at 11:57 5 March
11:57 5 March
Image source, Getty Images
Former Tottenham, Everton and Newcastle winger Andros Townsend says Aston Villa attacker Marco Asensio is proving his worth for Unai Emery's team.
The Spain international scored Villa's third in their 3-1 Champions League win at Club Brugge on Tuesday and has made an excellent start since his January loan move to Villa Park.
"He is a special, special talent," said Townsend on the latest episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "He always has been.
"He struggled with a knee injury, which stopped him from being world class, but as we have seen since he has been at Villa, he is still a top, top player."
Prit: This really was a game within a game. In large parts, Club Brugge were in control with very sharp and quick passing, but for me above all, this game was about the redemption of Tyrone Mings. He set up Leon Bailey's goal and did an astonishing clearance to keep Villa in the game. While Ollie Watkins was quiet (again), it looks like Marco Asensio is making up for lost time as he put away another penalty. At the halfway mark in the tie, I'm not getting carried away, but I would be so happy with a very dull 0-0 at Villa Park next Wednesday.
Phil: Absolutely delighted with the result of course - not so the overall performance. Felt we were too passive/pedestrian for large parts of the game and rode our luck a bit. When we moved the ball quickly we looked much more threatening. Good to see Boubacar Kamara get some minutes too. Need to be careful next week but we should have enough to see us into the last eight.
Matt: A generous dollop of luck there! Brugge were asking all the questions but two mistakes and we take a two-goal advantage back to Brum. Mings made a heroic clearance and Emi Martinez made some smart saves. Hopefully Kamara can get match-sharp quickly and we can get a lot more control of the tempo in the home leg.
Rob: Mings was man of the match by a mile - let's not get carried away, we could have easily lost. But we still have players coming back and have room for improvement. The best is yet to come.
Colin: Villa still not anywhere near their best but a great result. Bringing on Asensio, Matty Cash, Kamara and Jacob Ramsey made us look sharper and looked more likely to score. Mings did well - he's a great defender. I hope we play positively at Villa Park and see a better performance, but getting through is looking possible. Let's hope it boosts our confidence for the Premier League challenge ahead.
Beers fly in Brugespublished at 07:56 5 March
07:56 5 March
Media caption,
No ticket for the game? No problem for these Aston Villa fans, who celebrated Marco Asensio's penalty in style at an Irish bar in Bruges.
Asensio's Champions League love affair goes onpublished at 22:30 4 March
22:30 4 March
Neil Johnston BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Since their most recent Champions League outing against Celtic, Aston Villa have lost at Wolves and Crystal Palace, as well as dropped points at home to Ipswich.
So it was perhaps understandable there was slight concern among their fans before the Champions League last-16 first leg with Club Brugge in Belgium.
They needn't have worried.
Despite riding their luck at times, Villa took a huge step towards the quarter-finals after establishing a handsome 3-1 lead to take into the return leg on 12 March.
Tyrone Mings was immense in defence, while three-times Real Madrid Champions League winner Marco Asensio continues to flourish in a competition he loves.
When the Spaniard made it 3-1 after scoring an 88th-minute penalty, he became the first player to reach double figures for goals as a substitute in the Champions League - with 10 of his 13 goals in the competition coming from the bench.
Is Asensio the shrewdest of all the signings made during the January transfer window?
The 29-year-old, who has joined on loan from Paris St-Germain until the end of the season, looks like he is loving life in a Villa shirt.
Asensio has five goals in his past four appearances in three different competitions, while Tuesday was his first Champions League goal since April 2023 for Real Madrid against Chelsea.
'We are not in the quarter-final - there are still 90 minutes to play'published at 21:27 4 March
21:27 4 March
Image source, PA Media
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, speaking after Tuesday's Champions League win against Club Brugge:
"We are not in the quarter-final. 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."
Two-goal advantage 'magnificent' for Villapublished at 20:14 4 March
20:14 4 March
Image source, PA Media
Former Everton and Chelsea winger Pat Nevin, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live after Aston Villa's 3-1 win against Club Brugge in the Champions League:
"Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good and Villa carried a little bit of luck tonight.
"They weren't awful, nothing like that, but a fair result would have been a draw.
"It doesn't matter though. When you get opportunities and have top players that can take them, it makes a difference."
Ex-Villa striker Garry Thompson, speaking on BBC Radio WM:
"You'd have taken 1-1, you definitely would have taken 2-1 so for it to be 3-1 is absolutely magnificent.
"I feel sorry for Brugge a little bit, but this is the nature of the beast. You're playing with the big boys - you make mistakes, you get caught.
"Fair play to Villa, it's not the greatest night of football they've played but they've defended well and got the goals when they needed to get the goals. Unai Emery will be delighted with the way it's gone."
'Stay in the tie and get back to Villa Park'published at 15:09 4 March
15:09 4 March
Image source, Getty Images
Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin says Aston Villa must use their Champions League round of 16 first leg against Club Brugge is Belgium this evening to "stay in the tie".
Villa last played in the last 16 of the European Cup in 1982 and lost 1-0 to Brugge during the League Phase in November, but still qualified for the knockout stages in the top eight after a strong campaign, including a win over Bayern Munich.
"It's going to be difficult for Aston Villa to put down a marker because have a look at their away record, it's not been absolutely brilliant," Nevin told Radio 5 Live Breakfast.
"I was at the Monaco game - they were not a great team and Villa just didn't do that well.
"At home they've been really good and some of the additions and players coming back from injury gives them a right good chance. But, away from home you've got to hard to beat and belligerent.
"People don't think Brugge is one of the major teams in European football but they've had some really good results here - including the 1-0 earlier against Villa.
"People did not expect them to come through the Atalanta game, that was a real shock.
"It goes back to the old one - be in the game for the second leg, stay in the tie and get back to Villa Park. If they can get a win it's party time and they can really enjoy it."
Does cup focus explain recent stuttering league form?published at 11:42 4 March
11:42 4 March
David Michael Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Let's not kid ourselves any longer. Aston Villa are now fully focused on the cup competitions, which surely explains their recent stuttering league form.
In the club's 150th anniversary, there will be no better way to celebrate it than to lift silverware. If they do not, next season will mark a new significant anniversary - 30 years since their most recent significant trophy.
Following their 2-0 win over Cardiff City that set up a quarter-final trip to Preston, the FA Cup is their most likely route. But at the moment, it feels only an appetiser as Villa set their sights on something much bigger over the next week - reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.
Much like recent favourable FA Cup draws, the last-16 draw was kind to Villa, handing them a tie against Club Brugge - the lowest-seeded team from the initial league stage, finishing 24th and only squeezing through on goal difference.
That said, Brugge have already proven their mettle by knocking out last season's Europa League winners Atalanta over two legs in the play-off round.
Brugge's only defeat in their past 13 home European games was a 3-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund. And Villa, of course, have already tasted defeat at the Jan Breydel Stadium this season, losing 1-0 in the league phase. Unai Emery will hope Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford can get more joy in the away leg than their new team-mates managed back in November.
With reinforcements incoming after the March international break - Pau Torres, Ross Barkley, Boubacar Kamara, and Amadou Onana - Villa should hopefully have a strong squad for a potential double quarter-final date.
While some Villa fans will just be happy to be there, for Emery it could already offer his best chance of fulfilling his own trophy dreams with the club.
'Do you want to bet against us?'published at 11:40 4 March
11:40 4 March
Image source, Getty Images
Aston Villa fan Lyne Welling is "optimistic" Unai Emery's side can go all the way in the Champions League.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast while travelling to Belgium, she said: "I'm quite confident. To get into the next round would be absolutely brilliant.
"Hopefully we can go all the way, who knows? Do you want to bet against us? With the additions we've made in January, I'm optimistic.
"Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford are just on a different level. Considering where we were a few years ago when Unai Emery came in, we've just excelled.
"No-one would have thought we'd be here in the Champions League, and now we've also made the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. It's been a brilliant season."
A fairytale for Villa in Bruges?published at 09:33 4 March
09:33 4 March
Pat Nevin Former footballer and presenter
Image source, Getty Images
I am travelling to cover Aston Villa in the beautiful Belgian city of Bruges.
The home side will be a difficult nut to crack, having already beaten Unai Emery's men 1-0 over there this season, but there is an argument that this Villa team is now better than they were before the January transfer window.
January is a notoriously difficult time to wheel and deal successfully but allowing Jhon Duran to leave and being able to bring in Marco Asensio on loan alongside a rejuvenated Marcus Rashford looks like a stroke of genius.
Duran was a natural goalscorer but not a natural team player, and remember at one point it looked like Ollie Watkins might have been allowed to go to Arsenal. Watkins is a team player, Rashford has become one again in the short term and Asensio is a versatile class act.
With financial pressures - and though they will have to consider the costs of keeping Asensio and Rashford long term - this looks like the best of all possible scenarios for Villa, having pocketed a tidy £50m profit on Duran.
Villa have taken to Champions League 'like a duck to water'published at 09:08 4 March
09:08 4 March
Image source, Getty Images
Aston Villa have "looked like they belong" in the Champions League having "sailed through" to finish eighth in the league phase, says The Athletic's chief soccer correspondent Rory Smith.
Unai Emery's men face Club Brugge at the Jan Breydelstadion on Tuesday in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
"It's hard not to be impressed," said Smith on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "They have taken to it like a duck to water.
"They were helped a little bit with a relatively kind group stage lottery draw, but they sailed through effectively. They came eighth in the table and that meant they got automatic qualification, which as one of the lower seeded teams is an incredible achievement.
"They have looked like they belong and that is the most you can say for a team that hasn't been in the competition for 40 years."
