I don’t often post during half time but here goes. And even though it feels like I have lots of time, I’ll make it quick, because it is still half time and I know you’ve got to stuff to do.
And you have to read something three times to understand the importance, so here it is again, it’s half time! We are winning yes, but there is still 90 minutes to play and what happened in the first half for us, could happen in the second half for them. There is a lot to do tonight and only a fool would think that this game was done.
So, that written, go get a beer and settle in, it’s going to be a nervous second half. Or maybe it’s just me.
And there is little more for me to write, you all know this. I will rite that there is a nice incentive to win tonight. PSG look good and it will be a tough match. But Liverpool are starting to lose their shine and I fancy that Slot fella is getting found out. And I don’t mean by other sides, I mean by his players.
Liverpool didn’t take a big lead back to Anfield but they also lost at Anfield last night and even though that just meant extra time and penalties, they fell away at the first tough hurdle. I think we have a little more substance in our team than that and I know our manager has more.
But it’s a lesson and an incentive and if we take one on board and use the other, we should have enough in the tank. And Paris is nice in the the spring.
Match facts from the BBC
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Aston Villa last hosted a Belgian side in any European competition back in April 1982 in the European Cup semi-final against Anderlecht, winning 1-0 with a goal from Tony Morley on their way to winning the trophy.
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Club Brugge have never won away in England in major European competition in 14 attempts (D2 L12), losing their last five visits. Only Anderlecht (18) and Dynamo Kyiv (15) have played more in England without ever winning.
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Aston Villa could become the ninth different English side to qualify for a UEFA Champions League quarter-final, which would be the most teams from a single nation to have done so (England currently level with Spain on eight).
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Aston Villa have progressed from 12 of their previous 14 major European ties when they’ve won the first leg – the others were in the 1990-91 UEFA Cup vs Inter (2-0 first leg, 0-3 second leg) and 1998-99 UEFA Cup vs Celta Vigo (1-0 first leg, 3-1 second leg).
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Club Brugge have lost the first leg at home in six previous major European ties and have been eliminated on each occasion. Overall, they’ve been knocked out in nine of their last 10 ties when losing the first leg, with the other in the Conference League last season in the last 16 against Molde (1-2 first leg, 3-0 second leg).
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Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has only lost three of his last 19 home games in the UEFA Champions League (W11 D5), across spells with four different clubs. Indeed, he’s unbeaten in his four home matches in the competition in charge of his current club (W3 D1).
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Club Brugge won their previous away game in the UEFA Champions League, beating Atalanta 3-1 in the play-off round in February. They’ve never previously won consecutive away games in the European Cup/Champions League.
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Aston Villa are looking to become the first side to reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League in their debut season since Atalanta in 2019-20. Five English teams have achieved that – Chelsea in 1999-00, Leeds in 2000-01 (semi-final), Liverpool in 2001-02, Spurs in 2010-11 and Leicester in 2016-17.
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Marco Asensio has scored 10 UEFA Champions League goals in 50 games as a substitute (both more than any other player), netting Aston Villa’s third goal from the spot in the first leg. As a starter in 20 games, Asensio has scored three goals from 46 shots (6.5%), compared to 10 goals from 49 shots as a sub (20.4%).
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Hans Vanaken could make his 50th UEFA Champions League appearance in this game and would be the ninth Belgian player to play 50 games. He’ll be the first Club Brugge player to make 50 Champions League appearances; he has played in every single game for the club since the 2016-17 campaign, with only Lautaro Martínez for Inter (51 apps) on a longer current run of consecutive games for a club.