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It was punchy, part of a grand plan and, for supporters, a particularly exciting soundbite, but back then the prospect of a Champions League quarter-final date with Paris Saint-Germain, one of Emery’s former clubs, felt fanciful. The Villa manager has unequivocally delivered on his wish. The Champions League furniture: the oversized badges, the giant tifos and 3D signage will get at least another outing this season. “Paris away, olé olé,” a delirious Holte End sang.
The PSG loanee Marco Asensio continued his fine goalscoring run to accelerate clear of Club Brugge on the night, his sixth and seventh goals for the club bookending a routine victory after the visitors were reduced to 10 men early in the first half. Asensio, a half-time arrival, opened the scoring, Ian Maatsen doubled Villa’s lead and then Asensio added another just past the hour. By that point Prince William had been throwing his arms in the air in both frustration and jubilation.
Emery had been at pains to insist coming into this second leg with a two-goal advantage was not cause for celebration. He referenced Brugge’s impressive 3-1 playoff win at Atalanta last month after Asensio’s goal sealed victory in Belgium by the same scoreline and made it plain Villa had to anticipate another big performance from their opponents. “The biggest mistake we can make is thinking that the round was decided one week ago,” he said, wary of how these things can bite. This was the third meeting between these sides in five months, so both teams knew what to expect. The last time Villa hosted Belgian opposition was in April 1982, Tony Morley’s semi-final winner enough to down Anderlecht en route to lifting the trophy.
Brugge began promisingly, Maxim De Cuyper taking on a first-time shot and Hans Vanaken dropping a header off …
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