Aston Villa’s three-game winning streak in the Champions League came to an end with a narrow 1-0 loss to Belgian champions Club Brugge.
Manager Unai Emery witnessed a difficult night for his side just a few days after losing to Tottenham in the Premier League.
The decisive moment came early in the second half when Hans Vanaken converted a penalty that had been controversially awarded after Tyrone Mings picked up the ball in the box.
Reflecting on the game, Emery shared his thoughts on Villa’s performance and the impact of the penalty on the match.
He said: “We played a very good first half and created chances to score, but we didn’t score.
“We conceded a couple of chances but we were more or less controlling the match, and we knew our way.”
Full-time. pic.twitter.com/SUg8nZMfnQ
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 6, 2024
“In the second half, the mistake changed everything because one team like them, playing at home, they’re defensively strong, very focused, and playing 100% in their idea to stop us and play in transition.
“They were better than us. The key was the first half and then the mistake we made.”
Despite the setback, Aston Villa remain in a competitive position, holding a top-eight spot in the league phase table halfway through the group stage.
The match served as a reminder of the challenging nature of the Champions League and the strength of European competition.
Emery added: “We learned last year that to play away in Europe is always difficult.
“Playing against a team like Brugge in the Champions League, we can be favourite for eight matches in the table, but for one match, playing here against them, we were not favourites.
“They showed us their capacity to beat us, and they did it.”
