Marco Asensio played a starring role as Aston Villa secured a 3-0 victory over 10-man Club Brugge on Wednesday, booking their place in the Champions League quarterfinals against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Coming off the bench in the second half, Asensio struck twice to seal Villa’s dominant last-16 second-leg win at Villa Park.
The Spanish forward, who has now scored seven times since joining on loan from PSG in January, will face his parent club in the next round.
Brugge’s hopes were dealt an early blow when Kyriani Sabbe was sent off for a professional foul on Marcus Rashford.
Aston Villa capitalised on their numerical advantage, with Ian Maatsen adding a goal between Asensio’s brace to complete a 6-1 aggregate triumph.
With Prince William, a devoted Aston Villa fan, cheering from the stands, the Premier League side reached the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in 42 years. Their last appearance at this stage was in 1982-83, a year after they won the European Cup.
Unai Emery’s men have impressed in their debut season in the competition, recording victories over Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and Celtic. Now, they set their sights on PSG, who advanced after a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Liverpool.
Facing the French giants will be a special moment for Emery, who previously managed PSG, winning the Ligue 1 title in 2018 but struggling in the Champions League. This marks only the second time he has led a team past the last 16, having guided Villarreal to the semifinals in 2022.
Villa’s dream of repeating their 1982 European triumph may be ambitious, but their fairytale campaign continues to create unforgettable moments.
