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Club Brugge had to take the scenic route to get here, finishing 24th in the league stage before battling past Atalanta in the play-offs. Meanwhile, Aston Villa secured a direct ticket to the knockout rounds with a top-eight finish, avoiding the extra hurdles along the way.
In the first leg, Villa put on a dazzling display, cruising to a 3-1 victory. An own goal set the tone before Leon Bailey and Marco Asensio added their names to the scoresheet, leaving the English side in firm control of the tie.
Now, Club Brugge faces an uphill battle as they head to England, hoping to defy the odds and pull off a comeback for the ages. With their backs against the wall, they’ll need something truly special to turn the tide and keep their Champions League dreams alive.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
Here’s how to watch this Champions League match in the U.S.:
Unai Emery’s injury list has been shrinking in recent weeks, with only Amadou Onana (thigh) and Ross Barkley (calf) still stuck on the sidelines. However, Aston Villa was without two key names in Saturday’s trip to London — Marco Asensio, who had been on a scoring tear with five goals in four games, and first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.
Asensio has made a habit of delivering off the bench, tallying 10 Champions League goals across 50 substitute appearances — more than any other player. With that kind of impact, Emery will be eager to have the PSG loanee back in action for Wednesday’s clash.
In defense, fellow Spaniard Pau Torres is back in the mix after recovering from an ankle injury. He’ll battle it out with Tyrone Mings for a spot on the left side of Villa’s center-back pairing. Over on the right, Chelsea loanee Axel …
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