Club Brugge 1 Aston Villa 0: Villa suffer first Champions League defeat
For Tyrone Mings this was a Champions League debut to remember for all the wrong reasons.
What should have been a joyous occasion for the centre-back, just his second appearance back after more than 14 months out with a serious knee injury, turned into a nightmare seven minutes into the second half at Club Brugge’s Jan Breydel Stadium.
In a moment which will be replayed in blooper replays for eternity the 31-year-old picked up Emi Martinez’s goal kick to concede a penalty.
Hans Vanaken converted the spot-kick as Villa conceded for the first time in the Champions League in the most farcical fashion imaginable.
By full-time their perfect record in the competition was gone too. It was no more than they deserved as Brugge inflicted their third defeat in succession. A season which was going so seamlessly just a fortnight ago has encountered its first blip. Next up is a trip to Premier League leaders on Saturday night.
Emery had branded last night a chance for Villa to put themselves firmly in the driving seat for a place in the Champions League top eight. This defeat, to a Brugge team who had not beaten English opponents since 1995 - a run of 14 matches - showed things will not be so straightforward.
Heavily beaten at Tottenham on Sunday, this performance was worse, Villa lacking energy in the face of a determined home team, backed by vociferous support. Emery’s men simply never got going. If anything, they got worse the more the match progressed. Through 90 minutes they managed only one shot on target.
Mings was one of five changes to the line-up from Sunday’s loss and there was also a slight tactical tweak with Morgan Rogers, playing on the left and John McGinn in a more central role. Rogers had Villa’s first serious effort of the game but saw his shot nick off a defender and go wide of the post.
Brugge began to grow in confidence around the 20 minute mark. Maxim De Cuyper had the game’s first shot on target following a training ground free-kick routine, before Jutgla was agonisingly close to getting on the end of Joel Ordonez’s lobbed pass.
Youri Tielemans, booed from the start for his previous allegiance with Brugge’s big rivals Anderlecht, was Villa’s most creative force. A disguised pass to McGinn enabled the latter to find Watkins, who shot just wide of goal from outside the box with home keeper Simon Mignolet rooted to the spot. Another clever ball from Tielemans found Boubacar Kamara, whose cross to the far post looked inviting for McGinn but the skipper could only head over.
That was as good as it got for Villa in the opening half and they were indebted to a superb reaction save from Martinez to prevent the hosts taking the lead, the goalkeeper getting his right hand up in time to deflect Jutgla’s shot onto the post. Another good save was required moments later to keep out Christos Tzolis’ drive.
Martinez would then probably have been beaten were it not for Mings, who atoned for giving the ball away deep in his own half by sticking out a boot to block Casper Nielsen’s header after more neat work from the home side around the box.
But the two Villa players would then combine in calamitous fashion seven minutes into the second half. Martinez kicked a goal kick short to Mings and the latter, clearly thinking play had not yet restarted, picked it up and rolled it back to the keeper. Referee Tobias Stieler, who had already blown his whistle, pointed to the spot and Villa’s protests were in vain. Hans Vanaken sent the penalty down the middle as Martinez dived to his right.
Emery quickly introduced Duran to try and give Villa some drive but Brugge might have extended their lead had Andreas Skov Olsen been able to keep down his drive from the edge of the box.
Villa’s first effort of the second half didn’t come until there were fewer than 20 minutes remaining, Ian Maatsen volley comfortably clearing the bar. Kamara went closer with an effort later on but an equaliser never looked likely.
Club Brugge (4-3-3): Mignolet, Seys, Ordonez, Mechele, De Cuyper, Nielsen (Vetlesen 76), Vanaken, Jashari, Skov Olsen (Talbi 72), Jutgla (Vermant 90), Tzolis (Meijer 76) Subs not used: Romero, Skoras, Siquet, Spileers, Sabbe, Jackers (gk).
Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Konsa, Carlos (Nedeljkovic 80), Mings (Torres 66), Maatsen, Kamara, Tielemans, Bailey, Rogers (Ramsey 66), McGinn (Duran 58), Watkins (Buendia 80) Subs not used: Digne, Philogene, Onana, Bogarde, Swinkels, Gauci (gk), Olsen (gk).
